Father of Apalachee High School shooter arrested after incident

The father of the Apalachee High School shooting suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident that resulted in four deaths, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

Colin Gray, 54, faces charges of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI announced on Thursday.

Colin’s son, Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student, is accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers with an AR-style rifle on Wednesday. Nine more individuals were hospitalized. The teen has been charged with four counts of felony murder and is expected to be tried as an adult, according to the GBI and Barrow County sheriff.

JUST IN: The father of Georgia School Sh**ter Colt Gray has just been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, second degree m*rder, and cruelty to children

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Just hours ago, Colin Gray admitted to gifting his son an AR-15 for Christmas, which was later used to sh**t up… pic.twitter.com/tXGB9U9PTa

— Syed Altaf Bukhari (@syedaltaf57) September 6, 2024

The charges against Colin Gray are based on him “knowingly allowing” his son access to a weapon, GBI Director Chris Hosey stated during a news conference on Thursday.

Efforts to confirm if Colin Gray has legal representation have been unsuccessful. The Barrow County Public Defender’s Office could not verify if they were representing him and declined to comment. Attempts to reach Colin Gray by phone and in person were unsuccessful.

Colin Gray informed investigators that he purchased the gun used in the shooting as a Christmas gift for his son in December 2023, according to law enforcement sources. The AR-15-style rifle was reportedly bought at a local gun store. This purchase occurred months after authorities initially contacted the Gray family regarding school shooting threats made online.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had closed that investigation due to insufficient evidence. Wednesday’s shooting, which occurred shortly after the new school year began, was the 45th school shooting in the US this year and the deadliest since the March 2023 massacre at The Covenant School in Nashville.

Authorities said the nine hospitalized victims are expected to recover fully. The suspect left his Algebra 1 class around 9:45 a.m., according to classmate Lyela Sayarath. When he tried to re-enter the room, a student saw the gun and refused to open the door, which may have averted further tragedy. The suspect then turned to a nearby classroom and opened fire, discharging 10 to 15 rounds.

The first active shooter report came in around 10:20 a.m. Two school resource officers and other law enforcement quickly responded. One officer confronted the shooter, who surrendered, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith stated.

Colt Gray is being held at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center and is set for his first court appearance on Friday. He has been cooperating with investigators and admitted to the shooting, according to Smith.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp described the incident as “everybody’s worst nightmare.” The US has experienced at least 385 mass shootings this year, averaging more than 1.5 per day, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The victims included 14-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, 53-year-old math teacher Cristina Irimie, and 39-year-old math teacher and assistant football coach Richard Aspinwall.

Christian’s sister, Lisette Angulo, expressed heartbreak over his death on a GoFundMe page. Another GoFundMe page was created for Aspinwall, a beloved football coach. Apalachee Football paid tribute to him on social media.

Irimie is remembered as a hero by Father Nicolae Clempus of St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church. Injured teacher David Phenix, who was shot in the foot and hip, expressed concern for his students and colleagues after surgery, his daughter shared on Facebook.

Authorities are still piecing together the timeline of events. Wednesday was Colt Gray’s second day at the school, and he had visited the counsellor’s office the previous day due to anxiety.

Safety protocols at the school, including a recently adopted panic alarm system called Centegix, helped prevent a larger tragedy. Centegix’s website describes it as having dynamic digital mapping, real-time locating capabilities, and a panic button for emergencies.

Colt Gray will remain in juvenile custody until his 17th birthday despite being moved to the adult system. Georgia law mandates that juveniles aged 13 to 17 who commit serious crimes are tried as adults.

Investigators have not clarified how the weapon and ammunition were obtained. Last year, Colt was questioned by law enforcement after anonymous tips about online threats but was not arrested due to insufficient evidence.

On the morning of the shooting, the school received a phone threat about potential attacks at five schools, though no evidence of other targeted schools has been found. Investigations are ongoing.

Barrow County schools will remain closed for the rest of the week as the community processes the tragedy. Some students express fear about returning to class, voicing concerns over safety.