A year after an eviction shook their family apart, a teenager named Colt and his father Colin Gray are now facing charges for the tragic events at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. The incident left two students and two teachers dead, with seven individuals sustaining gunshot wounds. The father and son appeared in court for the first time, with their lawyers opting not to seek bail immediately.
Colt, 14, is accused of murder, while his father, 54, is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly providing his son with a semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle, knowing that he posed a threat to himself and others. Records show that a year prior, authorities had investigated Colt over an online threat on Discord but found insufficient evidence to link him to the post.
Colin Gray mentioned to investigators the challenges Colt faced at school due to his parents’ separation, which occurred after the family’s eviction in the summer of 2022. The father acknowledged that shooting guns and hunting were common activities for them. Although he confirmed that Colt had access to firearms, he emphasized that the guns were not kept loaded and stressed the importance of firearm safety.
Following the eviction, Colin’s wife left him, taking their two younger children with her, leaving Colt and his father to navigate their new reality on their own. Despite the difficulties Colt faced at school, his father described him as someone who just wanted to attend school, mind his own business, and avoid trouble.
Amidst the turmoil that culminated in the high school tragedy, Colin Gray maintained to investigators that his son was not prone to violence. However, the events that unfolded shocked the community and raised questions about the accessibility of firearms to individuals facing personal challenges. It remains a deeply tragic and complex situation that has deeply impacted multiple families and the entire community.
