In a shocking development, Colin Gray, the father of Colt Gray—the teenager accused in the recent Apalachee High School shooting—has been arrested. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced the arrest on Thursday.
Colin Gray, 54, faces serious charges including four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. Meanwhile, his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, is charged with four counts of felony murder for the tragic events at Apalachee High School.
At a news conference on Thursday night, GBI Director Chris Hosey explained that the charges against Colin Gray are related to “knowingly allowing his son to possess a weapon.” Colin Gray is currently in custody at the Barrow County Detention Center.
On Wednesday morning, Colt Gray allegedly opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, killing four people—two students and two teachers. Nine others were wounded, but fortunately, all are expected to recover fully. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith confirmed that at least seven of the injured have been treated and released, with one remaining in stable condition at the hospital.
Investigators are now looking into whether the gun used in the shooting, described as an AR-style weapon, was purchased by Colin Gray as a gift for his son in December 2023, according to federal law enforcement sources.
Booking photos of both Colt Gray and Colin Gray have been released. The Jackson County Sheriff’s office had previously interviewed the suspect and his father in May 2023 after the FBI received tips about threatening online posts. However, there wasn’t enough evidence at the time to make an arrest.
The reports from that investigation revealed that Colt Gray, then 13, claimed he deleted the Discord account where the threats were made because it kept getting hacked. He assured the deputy that he had never made any threats to shoot up a school.
Local police records also show that Colt’s parents were going through a divorce at the time, with his mother taking custody of two other children while Colt stayed with his father.
Colt Gray is being treated as an adult in this case, and his first court appearance is set for Friday morning. This heartbreaking situation has rocked the community and raises many questions about how such tragedies can be prevented in the future.