The mother of the individual implicated in a recent shooting incident in Georgia reached out to his school, indicating an “extreme emergency” and requesting that they check on her son on the day of the tragic event, according to reports from various media outlets.
Prior to the shooting, both the suspect’s mother and grandmother had been in communication with school officials. The accused, 14-year-old Colt Gray, is alleged to have carried out a shooting at Apalachee High School that resulted in four fatalities and nine injuries. He is facing four charges of first-degree murder.
In addition to Colt Gray’s charges, authorities have also filed charges against his father, Colin Gray. He faces accusations of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and child cruelty for allegedly permitting his son access to an AR-15 style rifle.
Both father and son appeared in court recently; however, neither entered a plea during this initial appearance. Text messages obtained by The Washington Post reveal that Marcee Gray had informed her sister about her attempts to alert school officials regarding her son’s well-being on the morning of the incident.
“I was the one who notified the school counselor at Apalachee High,” Ms. Gray stated in her message. “I told them it was an extreme emergency and urged them to find [my son] immediately.”
Annie Brown, Colt’s aunt, provided these text messages along with call logs to The Washington Post; Ms. Gray later verified their authenticity for other news organizations as well. It remains unclear what prompted Ms. Gray’s urgent communication with the school; however, CNN reported that she reached out after receiving a concerning text from her son saying: “I’m sorry.”
Phone records indicate that she called approximately thirty minutes before gunfire erupted within the school premises. According to reports from The Washington Post, there seemed to be some misunderstanding when a staff member attempted to locate Colt due to another student having a similar name.
In related developments, Charlie Polhamus—Colt’s grandfather—shared with CBS News that his wife had met with teachers just one day prior as part of efforts aimed at addressing behavioral issues affecting him at school.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken charge of this case but has not yet responded publicly regarding these revelations nor has Barrow County School System commented on media inquiries surrounding this matter.
Colt Gray stands accused of taking two young lives—14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo—as well as those of two educators: Richard Aspinwall (39) and Cristina Irimie (53). Reports suggest he struggled with mental health challenges leading up to this tragic event; Annie Brown mentioned these difficulties while speaking with The Washington Post.
Additionally, it was revealed by FBI sources that police interviewed Colt back in May 2023 concerning anonymous online threats related specifically to potential acts against schools—a claim he denied during questioning.
In response to this heartbreaking incident within their community, vigils have been organized honoring those lost while mourners have created memorials adorned with flowers candles outside Apalachee High School.
