Colin Gray, the father of school shooter Colt Gray, has been arrested in connection with the tragic shooting at Georgia’s Apalachee High School, carried out by his son. Colt Gray, who has been charged as an adult, faces felony murder charges for the deaths of two students and two teachers at the school.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced that Colin Gray has been charged with several offenses:
- 4 counts of involuntary manslaughter
- 2 counts of second-degree murder
- 8 counts of cruelty to children
During their investigation, authorities found writings in Colt Gray’s bedroom referencing the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. CNN reported that Colt Gray had been living in a “tumultuous family life in the years leading up to the deadly attack.”
The family had been dealing with a difficult separation and custody battle between Colt’s parents. There were reports of each parent calling law enforcement on the other, and the family faced housing instability, including eviction. Colt’s mother was also arrested for damaging Colin Gray’s car and for drug possession. Family members have accused Colin Gray of being “verbally abusive.”
“He was just a good kid, but he lived in an environment that was hostile,” said Charles Polhamus, Colt Gray’s grandfather, in an interview with CNN. “His dad beat up on him—not physically, but screaming and hollering, and he did the same thing to my daughter.”
Colt Gray, 14, is scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday morning after being charged with four counts of felony murder for the shooting that took place on Wednesday. Gray, a student at Apalachee High School, allegedly carried out the attack, which also left nine others injured. Autopsies for the victims were conducted by the GBI’s medical examiner on Thursday.
The victims have been identified as students Christian Angulo, 14, and Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.