Apalachee school shooting: Colt Gray ‘joked’ about school shootings, apologized to his parents

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Suspected Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, appeared in a Barrow County courtroom on Wednesday morning for a hearing in the case against him.

Multiple investigators took the stand Wednesday morning and they described how 14-year-old Colt Gray boarded a Barrow County School Bus on the morning of Sept. 4; they said he had a rifle his dad bought him disguised in his bookbag as a school project.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

According to the GBI and Barrow County investigators, Colt Gray had an obsession with school shooters, his mental health was failing, and instead of making sure he got help, Colin Gray admitted he bought his 14-year-old son an automatic weapon and a tactical vest too.

The whole courtroom cringed when investigators described how Colt Gray pulled out his gun and killed two teachers and two students.

“We determined that the rifle was protruding out of his book bag – and part of the rifle that was showing was concealed with a rolled-up poster board,” GBI agent Lucas Beyer said while giving his testimony on Wednesday.

GBI Special Agent Kelse Ward testified that cellphone records from before the shooting showed Colt Gray texted both of his parents before the shooting and apologized to them for what he was about to do.

“I’m sorry...You’re not to blame for any of this,” Ward quoted one of the text messages.

She went on to testify about separate interviews she conducted with each of the Grays.

RELATED STORIES:

• ‘We will heal’: Apalachee High students grapple with first full day of classes since mass shooting
• Stands packed for first home football game since Apalachee HS shooting
• Deadly Apalachee shooting: District attorney files no contact orders for 9 people

Ward testified that during her interview with Marcee Gray, she reported that Colt Gray had a history of joking about school shootings, including those at Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Marcee Gray went on to tell Ward about a moment when Colt Gray asked for a mask with holes cut in it. When she asked why he needed something like that, he responded that he had to, “finish my school shooter outfit, just kidding.”

Ward also testified that Colin Gray said he had seen news reports of the shooting and received messages from his daughter who attended a nearby middle school that something happened at Apalachee High School.

Colin Gray reportedly responded to those messages by saying, “Please tell me your brother didn’t do something.”

Prosecutors have previously said that they intend to present their cases against Colt Gray and Colin Gray this month.

The judge said she heard enough evidence today and there was enough probable cause to bound over the father’s 14 charges.

A grand jury hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

©2024 Cox Media Group