Law enforcement officials in northern Georgia have arrested the father of a teenager implicated in a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School. Colin Gray, 54, is facing multiple charges, including four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of child cruelty. These charges were filed a day after his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, was charged with murder.
The charges against Colin Gray were brought after it was revealed that he had purchased the AR-15-style rifle his son allegedly used in the shooting as a Christmas gift the previous year. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) stated that the charges were due to Gray knowingly allowing his son to possess a weapon. However, no further details were provided.
The weapon was given to Colt by his father seven months after the FBI had visited them following tips about online threats of a school shooting. The posts that law enforcement reviewed included images of firearms. At the time, Colin Gray informed the police that he had hunting guns at home but assured them that Colt did not have unsupervised access to them.
The shooting incident, which occurred on a Wednesday morning, resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers. The victims were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. Nine others, including seven students and two teachers, were injured but are expected to make a full recovery.
Colt Gray, who surrendered immediately after the shooting, was initially charged with murder on Wednesday. However, as of Thursday, he is now facing four counts of felony murder. GBI Director Chris Hosey stated that the investigation is ongoing and there is still a long way to go before it is concluded.
The accused teenager reportedly comes from a troubled home. A former neighbor and landlord revealed that Colt and his sister were frequently abused by their mother and were often visited by the police and child services. Colt’s mother, Marcee Gray, 43, has a long criminal record, including arrests for drug possession, driving under the influence, and domestic violence.
A neighbor, Lauren Vickers, described the children as often appearing in dirty clothes and sometimes hungry. Colt’s aunt, Annie Brown, told reporters that her nephew had been struggling with mental health issues and had been seeking help before the shooting incident.