Janice R. Andrews
Tragically, Georgia police have caught Colin Grey, the 14-year-old suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting who is also the father of Colt Grey. Colt Grey is charged with killing four people during the incident. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said that Colin Grey, 54, was officially charged on Thursday with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of abuse to children.
The investigation is trying to find out if the AR-15-style gun that Colt is said to have used was bought by his father and given to him as a gift. CBS News was told by law enforcement sources that they are looking into Colin Gray’s possible part in giving his son the gun.
Chris Hosey, head of the GBI, said at a news conference Thursday evening, “These charges come from Mr. Grey knowing that he let his son Colt have a gun.”
Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, were killed in the school killing on Wednesday. So were Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, two teachers. Nine people were hurt, including two teachers and seven kids. “All nine will make a full recovery and be able to leave the hospital,” the officials said Thursday night, which was good news.
Colt Grey will be tried as an adult. His court date is set for Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET, and it will happen online.
Warnings Given to the FBI Before
It was shockingly found out that the FBI had been warned about Colt Gray’s possible involvement in a school killing as early as May 2023. A police report from Jackson County, Ga., that Yahoo News got showed that people on Discord said they got a threat message from someone saying they would shoot up an unknown middle school in the area. People in the gaming world are mostly the ones who use Discord, a popular chat app.
The FBI’s Atlanta office stated that Jackson County police looked into the tip and named 13-year-old Colt Grey as a possible suspect. Colt and his father, Colin, were questioned by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at their home. Colin Grey stated in the interview that he had hunting guns in the house, but he claimed that his son did not have access to them without being watched. Colt also said he didn’t make any threats online.
The FBI said that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office found a possible suspect, a 13-year-old boy, and talked to him and his father. “The father said there were hunting guns in the house, but the subject could not get to them without being watched.” The person said they didn’t make the threats online.
Looking into Discord
After getting the tip in May 2023, the police looked into Colt’s actions on Discord in more detail. He said he had deleted his account months before because it had been hacked several times and he was afraid it could be used for bad things. He was worried that someone was wrongly charging him of making threats, even though he had nothing to do with it.
But the study turned up information that wasn’t consistent. According to the tip the FBI got, the threatening Discord account was made in April 2023, after Colt said he had deleted his account. The username on the Discord account was also in Russian, with a translation that spelt out the word “Lanza.” This was a reference to Adam Lanza, who killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.
Because of the errors in the information and the lack of solid proof, the FBI dropped the case in the end. The report said, “This case will be exceptionally cleared.”
An FBI Atlanta spokesman said in a statement on Thursday, “The threats were general and did not specify a place or time.” Other than what was in our social media message, we don’t have any more details to share at this time.
New charges against the dad
The arrest and charges against Colin Grey are part of a small but growing trend of making parents responsible for what their children do in school killings. Lawyer and criminal justice professor at the University of New Haven Michael Lawlor brought up the case of Jennifer and James Crumbley, parents of Ethan Crumbley. They were found guilty of their part in the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, in which their son killed four students.
“The authorities had to think about two important things when deciding whether to bring charges against Colt’s father,” Lawlor said. “First, it must be proven that the 14-year-old had access to the gun used in the shooting. Second, it must be proven that the parents knew about his threat to kill.”
In the Crumbley case, Ethan’s parents were found guilty of accidental killing because they did not properly lock up their newly bought gun, which Ethan used to shoot the person. They also ignored troubling signs that he was having problems with his mental health.
Lawlor stated that Colin Grey might be charged in the same way if proof shows that he gave his son access to the AR-style gun and knew about Colt’s bad behaviour online.
How the Country Reacted
The charges against Colin Grey have caused people all over the country to talk about what gun users, especially parents, should do. In a speech on Thursday in Westby, Wisconsin, President Joe Biden talked about the matter. The vice president said, “Too many people who shouldn’t be able to get guns can.” “Let’s make sure that guns are stored safely.” I’m sure mine is locked up. Assault rifles and other weapons should be locked up and out of reach of children. How could you not have one in your home?
The police still don’t know where Colt got the AR-15-style weapon he used in the shooting at Apalachee High School. But the probe is still going on, and more information should come out in the next few days.
A Community in Sadness
People in Jackson County, Georgia, are still in mourning as they deal with the terrible loses caused by the school killing. Vigils have been held to remember the dead, and students, teachers, and families who have been touched by the tragedy can get help from the local government.
People in the community are still looking for answers and hope that justice will be done for the people who died in this terrible event.
