A day after authorities charged the teen suspect in the fatal Apalachee High School shooting, police arrested his father. CBS News reports that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has confirmed the arrest of Colin Gray, the father of suspected shooter Colt Gray.
RELATED: More Details Revealed About Suspect & Victims In Deadly Georgia High School Shooting (Live Updates)
Details About The Father Of The Apalachee High School Shooter
Per The New York Post, Colin Gray, 54, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and cruelty to children. Colin was arrested after his son allegedly killed four people at Apalachee High School on September 4. Authorities are now investigating whether he purchased an AR-15-style rifle for Colt Gray in December 2023.
CBS News reveals that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Colt and Colin in May 2023 after the FBI flagged online threats of a school shooting. However, the FBI said investigators lacked enough evidence to make an arrest or take further action.
When investigators questioned the then 13-year-old Colt about his online threats, he denied them, according to the FBI and sheriff’s office. Additionally, law enforcement said Colt’s father owned hunting guns, but Colt didn’t have access to them.
Here’s What Happened At Apalachee High School
As The Shade Room previously reported, authorities took Colt Gray, a student at Apalachee High School, into custody after the deadly shooting on Wednesday, September 4.
He was a student at the school. Police accused Colt of killing four people, with nine others injured in the massacre.
TMZ obtained Colt Gray’s mugshot a day after the tragic incident. In the photo, he shows no expression, with his long dyed blonde hair resting on his shoulders.
AP reports that authorities are charging 14-year-old Colt as an adult with four felony counts of murder.
NBC News states the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the victims as 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn, and Christian Angulo, along with Christina Irmie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39.
Just before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire/EMS personnel received a dispatch to Apalachee High School. After the gunshots, two school resource officers confronted Colt, who then surrendered. Students sought refuge in the high school’s football stadium while local officers flooded the campus.
President Biden & The School System React To The Tragic Incident
In a statement reported by CNN, President Joe Biden emphasized that school shootings should never become a norm.
“What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart. Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal,” Biden stated.
After the tragedy at Apalachee High School, which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, the Barrow County School System pledged to support those who were injured, in pain, and grieving, per NBC News.
“We cannot thank the community and the entire State of Georgia enough for the outpouring of support we have received,” the district said in a statement.
Additionally, the district confirmed that the Barrow County School System will continue to provide support to all of its students, families, and staff during this difficult time.
