On Wednesday, a tragic shooting unfolded at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The suspected shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, allegedly opened fire, resulting in the deaths of two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie. Additional injuries were reported among eight students and one teacher, all of whom are expected to recover.
Colt now faces multiple murder charges, while his father, Colin Gray, 54, is accused of second-degree murder for providing his son with the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack. Both father and son had their first court appearance on Friday, where their legal teams chose not to request bail.
In a tragic twist, Colt’s mother, Marcee Gray, had communicated with school officials shortly before the shooting. According to family member Annie Brown, Marcee sent a text urging the school to locate Colt for an urgent check-in with a counselor. The family has shared phone records showing a call to the school about 30 minutes prior to the incident. Reports suggest a school administrator even checked the math classroom where Colt was, but missed him due to a case of mistaken identity involving another student with a similar name. The shooting began just minutes after that visit.
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Marcee later confirmed the details shared by Brown, expressing her deep sorrow for the victims and their families, referring to the incident as “absolutely horrific.”
The circumstances leading up to the shooting reveal that both the school and the family were aware of Colt’s troubling mental state, with discussions about his challenges, including “homicidal and suicidal thoughts,” occurring in the week prior.
Marcee Gray holds a degrees in Industrial Management and Occupational Safety and Health, and previously worked as a Senior Quality Engineer. However, she also has a history of vehicle-related offenses dating back to 2007.
This story is continuously developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update: 09/08/2024, 1:49 p.m. ET: This article has been revised with additional details.