Father of Georgia school massacre suspect charged and Hunter Biden pleads guilty: Morning Rundown

The father of the teenage suspect in the Georgia high school shooting has been arrested. Economists expect the latest US labor market report to reflect a decline in employment. And Hunter Biden pleads guilty in his federal tax case.

This is what you should know today.

According to sources, the father of the suspect in the Georgia school massacre gave his son an AR-15-style rifle

A day after four people were killed and nine others injured in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, details about the 14-year-old suspect and his father have emerged.

Two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said that 54-year-old Colin Gray gave his son, Colt Gray, an AR-15-style rifle and that the elder Gray gave his son the gun sometime after the two were questioned by the FBI in connection with the teenager's threats to carry out a school shooting last year.

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Colin Gray was arrested yesterday for allowing his son to possess a gun. He is charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of first-degree murder and eight counts of child abuse, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Colt Gray is scheduled to make his first court appearance this morning. He will be charged as an adult.

Law enforcement officials also said the juvenile suspect had shown interest in previous mass shootings, particularly the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The information came as a result of searches conducted during the shooting investigation.

Investigative documents also reveal details about the investigation into the suspect and his father in May 2023 and why the case was ultimately “solved.”

You can read the whole story here.

Further coverage of the Apalachee High School shooting:

The employment report comes at a crucial time

The US job market is losing momentum – and today Americans will find out by how much. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release labor market data, including the unemployment rate for August. According to Dow Jones, Wall Street expects an increase of 161,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate will fall to 4.2%.

This month's update is especially important. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates in the coming weeks, and economic issues dominate the conversation as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump vie for voters' support.

Economists hope the U.S. will experience a “soft landing” in which the economy slows but unemployment and inflation remain relatively low. There were mixed signals.

Hunter Biden pleads guilty after surprising twist in trial

The verdict on Hunter Biden is now in the hands of a federal judge in Los Angeles after he pleaded guilty to all counts in the federal tax case against him, sparing Biden, the first offspring of a sitting president, a potentially embarrassing trial.

Biden initially attempted to enter what is known as an Alford plea, in which a defendant pleads guilty based on the strength of the charges against him while maintaining his innocence. But Biden instead opted for an open plea, in which a defendant pleads guilty to all charges without prosecutors having made an agreed-upon sentencing recommendation. Read more about the unexpected development of the case.

Politics Compact

Election 2024: Before next week's presidential debate, an analysis of Kamala Harris's debate performances so far shows how she prepares and how she deals with criticism. In the election campaign, both Harris and Donald Trump invest their time, energy and money in the difficult task of to win over the tiny part of the voters who have not yet decided on a side.

Controversial purchase: President Joe Biden plans to announce that he will officially block Nippon Steel's planned takeover of US Steel for $14.9 billion, two people familiar with the matter said. Meanwhile, the political battle over the planned sale pit some steelworkers from Pennsylvania against each other – some from the same union.

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Selection of personnel: Ukrainians desperately flee from Russian attack

As Russian troops advance just five miles from the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovosk, residents are saying goodbye to their homes, pets and lifelong possessions, joining the millions already displaced by the war. When it will be safe to return – or if there will even be anything to return to – remains unclear. This sobering read by Richard Engel, Gabe Joselow and Victor Sema sheds light on the human realities at the centre of a conflict that shows no signs of resolution after two and a half years.

— Nick Duffy, Platform Editor

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