Georgia school shooting: Colt Gray appeared in court as more charges planned against suspect, DA says
Georgia school mass shooting suspect Colt Gray and his father Colin Gray faced a judge Friday at the Barrow County Courthouse in Georgia for their arraignment.
Judge Currie Mingledorff II told the Apalachee High School shooting suspect that he could face life in prison if convicted on any of the four felony murder counts held against him. The 14-year-old is being tried as an adult, however, the judge ruled out the possibility of a death sentence due to being younger than 18.
Colin Gray, 54, who faced Judge Mingledorff in the same courtroom about 45 minutes after his son, was told he could be sentenced up to 180 years in prison. The dad faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Colt Gray is accused of opening fire on staff and students at Apalachee High School in Winder with an AR-style rifle, resulting in the deaths of two 14-year-old pupils and two teachers on Wednesday.
His father allegedly bought the semi-automatic weapon for his son as a Christmas present.
Key Points
Colt Gray could face life imprisonment for each murder charge
Shooting suspect’s father Colin Grey faces maximum of 180 year in jail
Georgia school shooting suspect allegedly tells investigators ‘I did it’
Inside the ‘hostile,’ gun-obsessed homelife of Colt Gray
Unanswered questions in the wake of the Apalachee shooting
Thursday 5 September 2024 22:11 , Katie Hawkinson
Several unanswered questions remain more than 24 hours after a shooter at Apalachee High School took the lives of two teachers and two students.
Could the suspected gunman have been stopped?
Suspected gunman Colt Gray, 14, was questioned by police in May 2023 over internet posts that contained images of guns, the FBI said. Gray allegedly denied being behind the posts.
What kind of gun was used?
Officials say Gray used an “AR-platform style weapon” to kill four people and injure nine others on Wednesday. However, the exact model is still unclear.
Where did the suspected gunman obtain the gun?
Investigators are also looking into where the suspected gunman obtained the gun. Last year when the FBI first interviewed the teen, his father said that there were hunting guns in the family home, but that Gray, then 13, did not have unsupervised access to them.
What was the suspected gunman’s motive?
The FBI is still investigating potential motives for the shooting. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said investigators still don’t know if there was a relationship between the suspected shooter and the victims.
Colt Gray told police he would never shoot up a school when they visited his house after FBI reported threats
Thursday 5 September 2024 22:35 , Rhian Lubin
The teenage suspect in the Georgia mass shooting told police he would never shoot up a school when he was questioned over online threats about a potential school shooting one year before the attack, it has been revealed.
Colt Gray, 14, who previously appeared on the FBI’s radar, is accused of opening fire with an AR-style rifle, at Apalachee High School in the city of Winder on Wednesday which left four people – two students and two teachers – dead. He surrendered to authorities on the scene and will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
Now it has emerged that the FBI and the police had interviewed Gray and his father Colin Gray in May 2023 over “online threats to commit a school shooting,” from the social media platform Discord, which contained photographs of guns, the FBI’s Atlanta office said in a statement.
Read on:
Colt Gray told cops he would never shoot up a school during threat investigation
What we know about the Apalachee High School shooting that left four dead in Georgia
Thursday 5 September 2024 23:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Yesterday, gunfire broke out at Apalachee High School.
Two teachers and two 14-year-old students are now dead, with nine others hospitalized for their injuries. Now, 14-year-old suspected gunman Colt Gray is in custody and expected to be charged as an adult.
Here’s everything we know so far about the shooting, from The Independent’s Kelly Rissman:
What we know about the Apalachee High School shooting that left four dead in Georgia
Shooting suspect’s father tells authorities he bought son gun as Christmas present
Thursday 5 September 2024 23:37 , Graeme Massie
The Georgia suspect’s father has told investigators that he bought his son the weapon used in the school shooting as a Christmas gift last December, according to CNN.
Two law enforcement sources told the network that Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, said he purchased the gun used to kill two 14-year-old students and two teachers.
The purchase came months after the FBI received anonymous tips in May 2023 about online threats to carry out a school shooting.
The bureau turned over evidence to the Jackson County Sheriff’s office, which interviewed Gray and his father, who told them that there were hunting guns in the house but that the then 13-year-old did not have “unsupervised access” to them.
In a post on X after the shooting, the FBI said that there had been no probable cause at the time for an arrest or additional law enforcement action.
Georgia shooting: Video shows students cowering in classroom as police sweep building
Friday 6 September 2024 00:30 , Katie Hawkinson
Colt Gray’s father charged with murder over Georgia school shooting
Friday 6 September 2024 00:42 , Graeme Massie
The father of suspect Colt Gray has been arrested in connection with the shooting at Apalachee High School, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Earlier on Thursday CNN reported that Colin Gray had told investigators he bought his son the assault rifle allegedly used to kill two students and two teachers as a Christmas present last year.
The purchase came months after the FBI told local law enforcement in May 2023 about anonymous online threats about a school shooting. Colt Gray denied he was behind them and no arrest or other legal action was taken.
Father of suspected Georgia school shooter arrested
Friday 6 September 2024 00:48 , Graeme Massie
Father of suspected Georgia school shooter arrested
Father of suspect charged for ‘knowingly allowing’ son to have a weapon
Friday 6 September 2024 01:12 , Graeme Massie
Charges were brought against Colt Gray’s father for “knowingly allowing” the teenage shooting suspect to have a gun, Chris Hosey, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, told reporters on Thursday night.
Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Georgia gun laws put few limits on youths possessing rifles
Friday 6 September 2024 01:59 , Josh Marcus
More details are emerging about the circumstances that allegedly led to yesterday’s school shooting in Georgia.
Colin Gray, 54, the father of alleged gunman Colt Gray, 14, reportedly purchased his son a high-powered AR 15-style rifle as a holiday gift in 2023 that was later allegedly used in the Georgia shooting, which killed four people and hospitalized nine others.
The purchase came months after local police interviewed the Grays, after the FBI received tips about online warnings to commit a school shooting that could be traced to a social media account belonging to Colt. The student denied making the threats and no arrests were made at the time.
There is no minimum age requirement to possess a rifle under federal and state firearms law in Georgia, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, but individuals must be 18 or older to buy one under both sets of rules.
Colin and Colt Gray are now both facing charges over the shooting.
ICYMI: Colt Gray charged with four counts of felony murder
Friday 6 September 2024 02:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspected gunman who killed four people at Apalachee High School, has been charged with four counts of felony murder, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
Additional charges are expected. His first court appearance will be tomorrow morning.
Authorities will perform autopsies on the four victims later today as investigators look into the shooter’s motive.
Georgia shooting suspect’s aunt reveals new details about Gray family
Friday 6 September 2024 02:30 , Josh Marcus
As police continue to investigate yesterday’s mass shooting at a Georgia high school, a family member of Colt Gray is providing new insights into the 14-year-old’s home life.
Annie Polhamus Brown spoke with The Independent about her older sister Marcee Polhamus Gray and Marcee’s estranged husband Colin Gray.
Learn more in Justin Rohrlich’s full story.
Georgia school suspect’s aunt breaks silence: ‘Hearts and humble prayers’
ICYMI: What the Gray family told police during 2023 shooting threat inquiry
Friday 6 September 2024 03:00 , Josh Marcus
In May of 2023, the FBI got a tip about online threats on the app Discord regarding a school shooting. It traced the threats to Georgia and forwarded information to the Jackson County Sheriffs’ Office, which interviewed the Gray family.
Colin Gray, the Georgia shooting suspect’s father, said he kept hunting guns in the house, but that Colt did not have unsupervised access to them. Colt, meanwhile, denied making the online threats.
“Colt expressed concern 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,” according to a police report obtained by The Independent.
Gray also told deputies that “he stopped using Discord because too many people kept hacking his account and he was afraid someone would use his information for nefarious purposes.”
During the interview with the Grays, a deputy openly mused about the stakes of the 2023 investigation, saying, “God forbid” if the online threats turned into an actual shooting, according to audio of the interview obtained by CNN.
Further investigation of Colt’s Discord page showed he made the account after he said he’d deleted it, and used a Russian username that “spells out the name Lanza, referring to Adam Lanza, who is the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooter in Newton, Conn.,” per the report.
Police notified local schools and no probable cause for an arrest was found at the time, according to the FBI.
Read Rhian Lubin’s story for more information.
Colt Gray told cops he would never shoot up a school during threat investigation
In pictures: Community mourns Apalachee students, teachers
Friday 6 September 2024 03:30 , Katie Hawkinson
Georgia gun laws explained after four die in school shooting
Friday 6 September 2024 05:01 , Josh Marcus
Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, is the latest school across the US to experience a mass shooting as part of the country’s gun violence epidemic, with four killed and scores injured on Wednesday morning.
Apalachee student Colt Gray, 14, has been named as the suspected shooter, and is alive and in custody, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The shooting has prompted scrutiny of Georgia’s gun laws.
Read more:
Georgia gun laws explained as four die in school shooting
Watch: Georgia student describes moment suspected shooter asked to be let into classroom
Friday 6 September 2024 06:30 , Katie Hawkinson
‘Schools are supposed to be a safe place’: Friends remember beloved teachers gunned down in Georgia school
Friday 6 September 2024 08:00 , Kelly Rissman
Ricky Aspinwall went by many titles — football coach, math teacher, father, husband, father — and after the Apalachee High School shooting, he was tragically given another: victim.
“[This shooting] makes every educator in the country more anxious because schools are supposed to be a safe place,” his best friend and fellow educator Nick Bach told The Independent.
Read more:
Friends remember teachers gunned down in Georgia school hallway
Harris slams JD Vance for declaring school shootings are ‘fact of life’
Friday 6 September 2024 08:31 , James Liddell
School shootings are not just a fact of life.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can take action to protect our children—and we will. https://t.co/Oi8s9MfgvU— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 6, 2024
Watch: Police question Colt Gray and his father about threats against school in 2023
Friday 6 September 2024 08:59 , James Liddell
Exclusive details: Colt Gray’s aunt ‘eager’ to share potential motives behind Georgia school shooting
Friday 6 September 2024 09:25 , James Liddell
The aunt of suspected Georgia school shooter Annie Polhamus Brown has lamented the loss of the four men and women who lost their lives, allegedly at the hands of her nephew Colt Gray.
“Our hearts and humble prayers are with the families affected by this devastating tragedy,” Brown told The Independent’s Justin Rohrlich on Thursday evening.
Brown, who lives in Florida, said that she is “eager” to share her thoughts about what might have prompted the shooting suspect to allegedly gun down students and staff at Apalachee High School.
However, “it will not be at this time,” Brown said.
Gray’s motives are still under investigation, authorities said.
Apalachee High School remembers deceased staff and students in Facebook memorial post
Friday 6 September 2024 09:50 , James Liddell
Apalachee High School and public school district Barrow County Schools have spoken out following the devastating shooting which took place at the Winder, Georgia, institution on Wednesday.
Headshots of the four victims - students Christian, 14, and Mason Schermerhorn, 14; and teachers Cristina Irimie, 53, Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39 - were the posted on Facebook Thursday evening. It marks the school’s first social media post since the attack.
“Richard Aspinwall. Cristina Irimie. Mason Schermerhorn. Christian Angulo. The Barrow County School System and the broader Barrow Community have tragically lost two cherished students and two beloved teachers,” the post read. “Right now, we are focusing on those injured, hurting, and grieving while we unite as a community to support one another.”
It continued: “We are here for our students, families, and staff. In Barrow County, we strive to be Barrow BOLD, meaning we ask our students and staff to be courageous in all they do each day. We cannot thank the community and the entire State of Georgia enough for the outpouring of support we have received.”
More than $500k raised for families school shooting victims in under 48 hours
Friday 6 September 2024 10:15 , James Liddell
More than $500,000 has been raised in under 48 hours since suspected gunman Colt Gray allegedly opened fire on staff and students of Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday.
Four people - two 14-year-old students, two teachers - were pronounced dead.
A GoFundMe account set up to support fallen math teacher Richard ‘Ricky’ Aspinwall’s family has seen donations pour in from more than 5,000 people, amounting to just shy of $300,000 at the tome of writing.
Christian Angulo’s sister Lisette has spoken as she laments the loss of her 14-year-old brother on a GoFundMe page, which has received $133,500.
The family of Mason Schermerhorn, 14, has also received approximately $131,000 on the GoFundMe page.
All three fundraisers were set up to help with funeral costs and support the families of those killed in the shooting.
Inside school shooting suspect mother’s criminal past
Friday 6 September 2024 10:40 , James Liddell
Marcee Gray, the mother of Colt Gray, was first arrested in March 2007 on five vehicle-related misdmeanors, including reckless driving, improper right turn, and DUI.
She pleaded guilty in June 2008, paying a $600 fine and receiving 12 months probation, plus 40 hours of community service, according to a review of Fulton County, Georgia court records.
In November 2023, Gray was arrested on a pair of felony drug possession charges after allegedly getting caught in her car with methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to an arrest warrant.
She was also hit with misdemeaors for possessing prescription pain pill cyclobenzaprine and for affixing someone else’s license plate to her Nissan Rogue, records show.
Gray ultimately pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors: second-degree criminal damage to property, criminal trespass, and use of a license plate to conceal identity.
Although she faced a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, Gray was sentenced to a month-and-a-half in jail, which was all but canceled out with credit for time served, plus roughly five years of felony probation, according to plea documents in the case.
Gray also faced civil charges brought in 2019 by a Chevy dealer who accused her and her husband of passing a bad check as a down payment, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (The final disposition of the case is unclear.)
Watch: Biden addresses Georgia school shooting
Friday 6 September 2024 11:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Shooting suspect Colt Gray ‘shot his first' deer year before Georgia school attack
Friday 6 September 2024 11:25 , James Liddell
Colt Gray “shot his first deer” the year prior to the Georgia school shooting, according to his father.
The shooting suspect allegedly opened fire upon students and staff at the high school using an AR-style rifle in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday.
Now, in newly-surfaced police audio recorded in May 2023, Colt Gray’s father, Colin, admitted that he killed his first deer that very year. The interview took place after the FBI received a tip regarding a threat to shoot up a school last year.
“We do a lot of shooting,” Colin Gray told an investigator for the JacksonCount Sheriff’s Office.
“We do a lot of deer hunting. He shot his first deer this year.”
Listen: Colin Gray was ‘p****d off’ at son for allegedly threaten to ‘shoot up’ school in 2023
Friday 6 September 2024 11:50 , James Liddell
Newly released audio reveals that the father of the suspected Georgia school shooter was “p****d off” to learn that his son was accused of threatening to shoot a school a year prior to the Apalachee High School atrocity on Wednesday.
Last year, Georgia authorities visited Colin Gray and his 14-year-old son Colt following the FBI receiving a report of online threats about “possibly threatening to shoot up a middle school” in a group chat on messaging app Discord surfaced.
The newly surfaced audio details the moment a Jackson County Sheriff's officer spoke to the father on May 21, 2023.
“I mean, I’m not trying to get anybody hemmed up,” the investigator told the father “But this is some serious stuff.”
“Oh, he knows how serious it is – trust me,” Gray retorted.
He continued: “I’m pretty shocked to be honest with you. I’m a little p****d off to be even really honest with you if that is what was said.”
School shooting suspect set to arrive at Georgia courthouse imminently
Friday 6 September 2024 12:12 , James Liddell
Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray is getting ready to face a judge for his arraignment at 8.30 ET this morning.
The 14-year-old is due to arrive at Barrow County Courthouse following accusations of his involvement in the mass shooting at the Winder, Georgia high school on Wednesday. Four people - two 14-year-old students and two math teachers - were shot dead.
He faces four counts of felony murder, with additional charges expected, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. He is due to be tried as an adult.
Gray’s court appearance comes after the arrest of his father, Colin Gray, on Thursday night which saw charged with second-degree murder in connection with the deadly shooting.
Colt Gray allegedly made admission to investigators: ‘I did it’
Friday 6 September 2024 12:35 , James Liddell
The suspected gunman who alleged shot four people dead during a mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday was said to have told investigators “I did it,” according to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office.
Colt Gray was read his Miranda rights following his arrest at the Winder, Georgia, high school and was allegedly “still talking,” Sheriff Jud Smith told CNN.
The 14-year-old is set to face a judge at Barrow County Courthouse for his arraignment at 8.30 ET this morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He will to be tried as an adult, the bureau said.
He faces four counts of felony murder, with additional charges expected, the GBI said.
Additional six students and one teacher sustained gunshot wounds – following death of four
Friday 6 September 2024 13:01 , James Liddell
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has revealed that six students and one teacher were shot, seperate to the four people killed during the mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.
An additional two students had sustained injuries that weren’t gunshot wounds, following shooting suspect Colt Gray allegedly opening fire upon students and staff at the high school using an AR-style rifle in Winder, Georgia, the GBI revealed on its website late on Thursday evening.
Friday 6 September 2024 13:20 , James Liddell
Colt Gray told police he would never shoot up a school when they visited his house after FBI reported threats
The teenage suspect in the Georgia mass shooting told police he would never shoot up a school when he was questioned over online threats about a potential school shooting one year before the attack, it has been revealed.
Colt Gray, 14, who previously appeared on the FBI’s radar, is accused of opening fire with an AR-style rifle, at Apalachee High School in the city of Winder on Wednesday which left four people – two students and two teachers – dead. He surrendered to authorities on the scene and will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
Now it has emerged that the FBI and the police had interviewed Gray and his father Colin Gray in May 2023 over “online threats to commit a school shooting,” from the social media platform Discord, which contained photographs of guns, the FBI’s Atlanta office said in a statement.
Read on:
Colt Gray told cops he would never shoot up a school during threat investigation
Just in: Dad of Colt Gray to face judge an hour after son this morning
Friday 6 September 2024 13:21 , James Liddell
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray is getting ready to face a judge for his arraignment at 9.30am ET this morning - precisely one hour after his son.
The dad faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
He will face a Barrow County Courthouse judge precisely an hour after his son, according to Barrow County District Court Administrator TJ BeMent.
Colt Gray faces four counts of felony murder, with additional charges expected, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. He is due to e arraigned at 8.30am this morning.
Watch live: Georgia school shooting suspect appears in court charged with four counts of murder
Friday 6 September 2024 13:39 , James Liddell
Georgia school shooting suspect appears in court charged with four counts of murder
In pictures: Colt Gray spotted in Georgia courtroom
Friday 6 September 2024 13:51 , James Liddell
Georgia school mass shooting suspect Colt Gray has arrived at the Barrow County Courthouse in Georgia for his arraignment.
Gray, 14, is sat facing Judge Currie Mingledorff II after being accused of opening fire on staff and students at Apalachee High School in Winder with an AR-style rifle, resulting in the deaths of two 14-year-old pupils and two teachers.
The boy has been charged with four felony counts of murder and is set to be tried as an adult.
Gray could face life in jail, judge says
Friday 6 September 2024 14:06 , James Liddell
Judge Currie Mingledorff II told Apalachee High School shooting suspect that he could face life in prison if he is convicted on any of the four felony murder counts held against him.
The 14-year-old arrived at the Barrow County Courthouse in Georgia at 830am ET for his arraignment.
Colin Gray, dad of Georgia school shooting suspect, expected in court imminently
Friday 6 September 2024 14:16 , James Liddell
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray is expected to face a judge for his arraignment at 9.30am ET this morning.
The dad faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
He will face a Barrow County Courthouse judge precisely an hour after his son, according to Barrow County District Court Administrator TJ BeMent.
Colin Gray enters courtroom; judge reads out charges
Friday 6 September 2024 14:21 , Alex Lang
Judge Currie Mingledorff II read out charges for the father of the suspect Georgia school shooter, Colin Gray.
He faces two counts of felony second-degree murder, four counts of felony involuntary manslaughter, eight counts of felony second-degree cruelty to children.
Colin Gray could receive maximum of 180 years in prison
Friday 6 September 2024 14:24 , James Liddell
Judge Currie Mingledorff II read out the maximum sentencing for each of the charges filed against Colin Gray, father of the suspected Georgia school shooter, Colt Gray.
He faces up to 30 years in prison for each of the two counts of felony murder in second degree, 10 years in jail for each of the four counts of felony involuntary manslaughter, and 10 years years for each of the eight counts of felony cruelty to children in the second degree.
A maximum total possible penalty is 180 years imprisonment, the judge said.
Colin Gray rocking back in forth after judge announces possible 180 years imprisonment as hearing ends
Friday 6 September 2024 14:26 , Alex Lang
Judge rules out possible death sentence for school shooting suspect
Friday 6 September 2024 15:03 , James Liddell
Judge Currie Mingledorff II has ruled out the possibility of Colt Gray receiving a death sentence, citing he’s not eligible because he’s under the age of 18.
The judge instead said that the 14-year-old could face a maximum life sentence in prison without if he is convicted of any of the four felony murder counts held against him.
In pictures: Moment Colt Gray and dad Colin learn maximum possible sentences
Friday 6 September 2024 15:26 , James Liddell
FBI audio reveals Colt Gray’s dad was ‘p***** off with son’ over alleged 2023 threat of ‘shooting up’ school
Friday 6 September 2024 15:50 , James Liddell
The father of Georgia school shooting suspect Colt Gray said that high-caliber weapons were “accessible” to the teen a year before he was accused of opening fire inside Apalachee High School, newly-released audio reveals.
Last year, Georgia authorities visited the Jefferson home of Colin Gray, 54, and his 14-year-old son, the alleged gunman who police say killed four people in Winder on Wednesday.
The mass shooting followed the FBI receiving a tip about alarming online messages with threats to possibly “shoot up a middle school” in a group chat on the app Discord. The chat also contained photographs of guns, the bureau’s Atlanta office said in a statement.
James Liddell has the full details.
Colt Gray’s dad ‘p***** off’ over alleged 2023 school shooting threat, audio reveals
Inside the ‘hostile,’ gun-obsessed homelife of Georgia shooting suspect Colt Gray
Friday 6 September 2024 16:10 , James Liddell
As a Georgia high school reels from the mass shooting that left two students and two teachers dead, details have emerged that paint a picture of the “hostile” and gun “obsessed” homelife of suspected shooter, Colt Gray.
The 14-year-old has been charged in the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53 in Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. And now, so has his father, Colin Gray.
Rhian Lubin and Justin Rohrlich have more.
Inside the ‘hostile’ homelife of Georgia shooting suspect Colt Gray
ICYMI: Judge reveals potential sentencing for shooting suspect Colt Gray and dad Colin
Friday 6 September 2024 16:35 , James Liddell
Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray and his father Colin Gray were arraigned on Friday morning as they both faced murder charges.
Judge Currie Mingledorff II told the 14-year-old alleged gunman that he could face life in prison if convicted on any of the four felony murder counts held against him.
The judge has ruled out the possibility of Colt Gray receiving a death sentence because he’s under the age of 18.
Judge Currie Mingledorff II read out the maximum sentencing for each of the charges filed against Colin Gray, father of the suspected Georgia school shooter. He allegedly bought Colt Gray an AR-style rifle for Christmas.
He faces up to 30 years in prison for each of the two charges of felony second-degree murder, 10 years in jail for each of the four counts of felony involuntary manslaughter and 10 years for each of the eight counts of felony cruelty to children in the second degree.
A maximum total possible penalty is 180 years imprisonment, the Mingledorff said. Colin Gray was visibly distressed, rocking back and forth during the arraignment.
Both Colt Gray and and his father were told that they had the right to a “speedy and public trial by judge or jury”. Neither requested a bond and no pleas were entered.
They will both remain in custody and are next due in court on December 4.
Colt Gray to face ‘additional charges,’ DA says
Friday 6 September 2024 16:55 , James Liddell
Georgia shooting suspect Colt Gray will face “additional charges,” Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said on Friday.
The upcoming charges will be filed after investigators speak with victims that sustained injuries after Gray allegedly opened fire on Apalachee High School pupils and teachers using a AR-style rifle on Wednesday - which killed four and injured nine.
“There will be additional charges on Colt Gray. When he was taken into custody on Wednesday, we did not have the identities or the conditions of the other victims. So we were not able to charge on those offenses,” Smith said, as first reported by CNN.
“So when evidence comes in, and they’ve had a chance to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually, we will get with them, and there will be additional charges that address the other victims.”
Here’s why suspect's dad Colin Gray faces two murder counts when there were four deaths
Friday 6 September 2024 17:20 , James Liddell
Among Colin Gray’s slew of charges are two counts of felony murder in the second degree. There were, however, four deaths after Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray allegedly opened fire on the Winder, Georgia, school on Wednesday.
The 54-year-old gave his son a firearm “with knowledge he was a threat to himself and others,” according to his arrest warrant.
Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith explained why.
“Second-degree murder is different in Georgia than in other states. It’s a rather new charge, and it is specifically geared towards cruelty to children in the second degree,” he told CNN.
“If you commit cruelty to children in the second degree that causes death, that is second-degree murder.”
Both son and father to remain in jail
Friday 6 September 2024 18:20 , Andrea Cavallier
Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray and his father Colin Gray were arraigned on Friday.
They both faced murder charges.
Neither attorney requested bail during the hearing.
So both father and son will remain in jail.
JD Vance skirts around question about holding parents accountable in school shootings
Friday 6 September 2024 18:45 , Andrea Cavallier
‘Seeing blood everywhere’
Friday 6 September 2024 19:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ariel Bowling, who is in the 10th grade at Apalachee High School, was about to walk to the vending machine when the shooting began.
“We ran back inside, and we closed the door, and we all ran to the corner,” Bowling told 11Alive. “And that’s whenever I called my mom, and I told her that, hey, this isn’t a drill. There’s an active shooter.”
She said she could see “blood everywhere.”
Bowling is OK, but says she knew some of the victims, some who survived and some who did not.
Some Georgia schools remain closed due to threats
Friday 6 September 2024 19:30 , Andrea Cavallier
The Franklin County School System closed all its schools onFriday due to receiving threats on Thursday, WSBTV reported.
A teenager was arrested for making several threats against schools in the area, according to the Gainesville Police Department and another teen was arrested Thursday afternoon for threatening to “finish the job” at Apalachee High School.
The teens have not been identified.
School officials said they are working closely with local law enforcement and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Mother of Apalachee shooting victim says he ‘didn’t deserve to die like this’
Friday 6 September 2024 20:02 , Andrea Cavallier
Christian Angulo’s mother told Univision that her son didn’t deserve to die like this.
“He was only 14 years old; they took his whole life, his future and his time with us,” Emma Angulo said.
“He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve to die like this. I miss him. For me, this is like … I wish it was a dream.”
She recalled the last hug they had.
“He gave his father and me a hug; I will always carry that in my heart,” she said.
The family moved to Georgia from California 10 years ago for safer schools.
“In California, the schools were supposedly bad, and here we find the same situation,” she said.
“It hurts a lot. It feels like they killed me and my family.”
WATCH: Suspected school shooter Colt Gray appears in court
Friday 6 September 2024 21:16 , Andrea Cavallier
Father of suspected school shooter rocks back and forth during his own court hearing
Friday 6 September 2024 21:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Victim ID’d by family
Friday 6 September 2024 23:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Another victim of the Apalachee High School shooting was identified by her family.
Melany Garcia was shot in the shoulder, her family told WSBTV.
The bullet broke the bone that connects her shoulder to her arm.
“She’s a normal young teen who loves to be with friends, play soccer, and spend time with family, and none of those hobbies will ever be the same now,” they wrote in a statement.
The teen will need to undergo more surgeries.
Her family has started a GoFundMe campaign.
Exclusive: Landlord talks about having Gray family as tenants
Friday 6 September 2024 23:33 , Alex Lang
A former landlord has detailed about having the parents of Georgia school shooting suspect Colt Gray as tenants.
Justin Rohlich exclusively spoke with the landlord, who talked about how chaotic the parents were from the start. The landlord even had to evict the family after they fell behind in rent.
“The craziest part of all is that they left [their] two German Shepherds,” the landlord recalled on Friday, adding that Colin and Marcee Gray simply ignored his attempts to reunite them. “I imagine the next place where they were renting didn’t allow dogs, so they just left them.”
To find out more, check out the exclusive story.
Parents of school shooting suspect left dogs behind when they were evicted: landlord
Majority of viral social media threats since Georgia shooting ‘deemed non-credible’
Saturday 7 September 2024 00:00 , Andrea Cavallier
“The public safety community is responding to an increase in school threat reporting following the shooting at Apalachee High School,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said in a joint statement Friday.
Anyone making “specific threats” will be investigated and prosecuted, according to the statement.
“However, school safety hotlines and law enforcement often see increased reporting following a mass shooting incident, as students and the public are more apt to report suspicious activity or concerns. Reposting these online threats can cause undue panic and spread false information.”
Apalachee High’s Friday football game canceled in shooting’s wake
01:03 , Alex Lang
Tonight was supposed to be fun at Apalachee High as the football team got ready to take on Monroe Area, but that has all changed after Wednesday’s shooting.
Now, the game is canceled as the team and community is mourning the loss of two classmates and two teachers.
Head coach Mike Hancock told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he has yet to address his team.
“I want to get them in a room,” Hancock said, “and tell them, ‘Yes this is going to be hard, but we’re going to do this together.’”
One of the victims killed, teacher Richard Aspinwall, was an assistant coach on the team.
“Nothing was above him,” Hancock said. “Just because he was the defensive coordinator, nothing was beneath him. He always was willing to do whatever it took to help our kids and our program.
Colt Gray told police he would never shoot up a school
02:00 , Andrea Cavallier
The teenage suspect in the Georgia mass shooting told police he would never shoot up a school when he was questioned over online threats about a potential school shooting one year before the attack.
Colt Gray, 14, who previously appeared on the FBI’s radar, is accused of opening fire with an AR-style rifle, at Apalachee High School in the city of Winder on Wednesday which left four people – two students and two teachers – dead.
He surrendered to authorities on the scene and will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
It turns out that police had interviewed Gray and his father Colin Gray, who has also been charged, in May 2023 over “online threats to commit a school shooting,” from the social media platform Discord, which contained photographs of guns, the FBI’s Atlanta office said in a statement.
Read more:
Colt Gray told cops he would never shoot up a school during threat investigation
County schools set to return next week
03:08 , Alex Lang
Barrow County schools are planning to return to the class next week as they continue to grieve the loss of classmates and teachers at Apalachee High.
District officials announced Friday that schools in the county will return on September 10. County schools have been closed since Wednesday’s shooting.
However, no return has been announced for the students at Apalachee.
“We are still grieving but at the same time we must try our best to navigate this uncharted journey ahead together,” district officials said in a statement. “We believe we need to be together as soon as possible to move forward and to provide some sense of familiarity for our students”
What are Georgia’s gun laws?
04:04 , Alex Lang
Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, is the latest school across the US to experience a mass shooting as part of the country’s gun violence epidemic, with four killed and scores injured on Wednesday morning.
Apalachee student Colt Gray, 14, has been named as the suspected shooter.
The shooting has prompted scrutiny of Georgia’s gun laws.
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