A tragic school shooting has once again captured the nation’s attention. The mother of the teenager responsible for the attack recently revealed her child’s chilling words prior to the event. This has sparked outrage online, with some users calling for her to face legal consequences.
On September 4, 2024, a 14-year-old student opened fire at Apalachee High School, just outside of Atlanta. The shooting, which occurred as students returned from a holiday weekend, left four dead—two 14-year-old students and two teachers—while nine others were injured.
A CBS camera feed shows Colt Gray during his hearing at the Barrow County Courthouse on September 6, 2024, in Winder, Georgia. | Source: Getty Images
The victims of the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
Students shared their terrifying experiences during the shooting. A 14-year-old girl recounted how she managed to block the suspect from entering her classroom after spotting him with a gun.
In another classroom, students pulled a wounded teacher to safety, using their shirts to stop his bleeding while barricading the door with desks and chairs. One teenage boy described how, while rushing to close his classroom door to keep the shooter out, he realized he had already been shot.
On the morning of the shooting, Colt reportedly discussed plans for the attack. His classmate, Lyela Sayarath, shared that a school administrator had entered Colt’s math class shortly before the incident.
There appeared to be confusion due to another student having the same name as Colt. Neither student was present at the time, and the administrator left with the backpack of the similarly named student. Minutes later, the shooting began.
On the morning of the shooting, Colt’s mother, Marcee Gray, called the school after discovering something concerning about her son. She expressed fear of an “impending disaster.”
Colt apologized to his parent before committing the crime, writing, “I’m sorry, mom.” Marcee shared she was the one who informed the school counselor, telling them that it was an “extreme emergency,” adding they should go and find Colt immediately.
Following the publication of the incident, Marcee declined to further explain on what made her contact the school to warn them. However, she divulged that she had disclosed the information with the police.
She called the shooting “absolutely horrific” and expressed remorse for those affected. “I am so, so sorry and cannot fathom the pain and suffering they are going through right now,” said Marcee.
Social media users reacted to this. While some commented on her looks compared with her son, others blamed her and called for her to face charges as well. “She got that cray cray look,” commented one user.
Another echoed, “Both have the crazy eyes.” One person wrote, “This was allowed to happen.” “Is she under arrest too? Is she just like the dad? Wondering,” asked another. Someone else noted the mother should face the consequences of her son’s actions writing, “She should be arrested & charged too…”
Just a week before the tragedy, Colt’s family and the school had been in communication about concerns over his mental health. His aunt, Annie Brown, confided to a relative that he was experiencing “homicidal and suicidal thoughts.”
Annie disclosed Colt “was begging for help from everybody around him,” for months. “The adults around him failed him,” she added. Annie, who lives in Central Florida, did not provide many details about Colt’s mental health issues but mentioned she had been trying to assist from a distance.
In text messages shared with another publication, she expressed concerns in August 2024 about her nephew having access to a gun. A week before the shooting, the suspect’s grandmother had gone to his school to seek help from a counselor, writing, “He starts with the therapist tomorrow,” according to screenshots.
Annie said her nephew’s struggles were worsened by a challenging home environment. The teen’s mother had pleaded guilty to family violence charges in December 2023, and was ordered to avoid contact with Colt’s father.
Authorities apprehended the suspect, Colt Gray, after a brief standoff, announcing plans to charge him with murder and try him as an adult. Colt had been on the radar of federal authorities over a year before the shooting due to anonymous tips about threats of violence at a school.
The FBI passed these concerns to local police, who interviewed him and his father, Colin Gray. The father and son duo were questioned by law enforcement in May 2023, regarding “online threats to commit a school shooting” that featured photos of guns, according to a joint statement from the FBI Atlanta and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
At just 13 years old, Colt denied the accusations, telling investigators that “someone is accusing him of threatening to shoot up a school, stating that he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner.” Authorities were unable to verify the threats, and the investigation was closed, per the sheriff’s office.
Although Colin acknowledged having hunting guns at home, he assured authorities that his son did not have unsupervised access to them. While the pre-teen denied making the threats, local schools were still warned about him.
Colin, 54, has been charged after revealing to authorities that he purchased the AR-style rifle used in the shooting as a holiday gift for his son in December 2023. This purchase came just months after law enforcement initially questioned him about online threats.
Colin Gray enters the Barrow County courthouse for his first appearance on September 6, 2024, in Winder, Georgia. | Source: Getty Images
He now faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Colin Gray sits in the Barrow County courthouse for his first appearance on September 6, 2024, in Winder, Georgia. | Source: Getty Images
The tragic events at Apalachee High School have left a community in shock and mourning, as the devastating loss of young lives and educators continues to weigh heavily on all involved.
As authorities move forward with the investigation and charges, questions about accountability and the need for improved mental health resources and safety measures in schools remain at the forefront.
