Colt Gray’s Mother Called School 30 Minutes Before Georgia Shooting, Suspect’s Mother Claims – US News
The mother of the Georgia shooting suspect contacted the school 30 minutes before the incident, warning of an “extreme emergency,” according to his aunt.
Colt Gray, 14, stands accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, near Atlanta, on Wednesday.
Another teacher and eight students were injured but are expected to recover fully, as per the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Annie Brown, the suspect’s aunt, stated that her sister informed the school counsellor half an hour before the gunfire erupted.
She told the Washington Post that the boy’s mother described an urgent situation involving her son, emphasizing the need to locate him immediately.
Phone records revealed a 10-minute call from the family’s shared phone plan to the school at that time.
Colt Gray at Barrow County courthouse on Friday. Pic: AP
Gray appeared in court on Friday where he faced charges as an adult for the murders of Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
His father Colin Gray, 54, also appeared in court and was charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder for allowing his son access to a weapon.
Colin Gray. Pic: Barrow County Sheriff’s Office
Father interviewed over shooting threats last year
Colin Gray was questioned by police last year regarding threats his son made on Discord about a potential shooting.
He stated that the family’s hunting guns were locked in a safe at home, inaccessible to his son.
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School shooting victims named
The boy’s father mentioned his son’s struggles with the parents’ separation and incidents of bullying at school.
According to a transcript of the interview, he emphasized the importance of understanding the seriousness of weapons and proper usage to his son.
He also mentioned his son’s tendency to become overwhelmed and make poor decisions under pressure.
Investigations in May 2023 revealed his son’s experiences of being targeted at school.
The case was ultimately closed as neither Colt nor Colin Gray could be linked to the Discord account with the threats.
Police reports from the sheriff’s office indicated there were no grounds to seize the family’s firearms.
Law enforcement sources revealed that Colin Gray purchased an AR-style rifle for his son as a gift after the initial questioning.
A judge ruled on Friday that the teenager would not face the death penalty, given his juvenile status, with the maximum sentence being life without parole.
