US: Georgia High School Shooting Accused Teen’s Father Arrested

The father of a teenager in Georgia, US, who is suspected of killing four people at his high school, has been taken into custody.

The father of a 14-year-old student suspected of killing four people in a school shooting at Winder’s Apalachee High School, Colin Gray, has been taken into custody by Georgian authorities. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) reports that Colin Gray, 54, is charged on several counts, including eight counts of child abuse, two counts of second-degree murder, and four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Colt Gray, the son of Colin Gray, is the suspect and will face adult prosecution on four counts of murder. Nine people were injured in the horrific tragedy that happened on Wednesday, which claimed the lives of two kids and two teachers. Friday morning is Colt’s first scheduled court appearance.

GBI Director Chris Hosey stated at a press conference on Thursday night that Colin Gray’s charges are directly related to his son’s possession of a firearm. Investigators are investigating if, in December 2023, Colin Gray purchased the AR-style rifle used in the attack as a gift for his son. Law enforcement authorities claim that this gift might have made the fatal events possible.

According to authorities, in May 2023, the FBI had previously notified the local police about threats made online regarding a possible school massacre. The threats were made on the internet platform Discord and connected to an account with a name that was translated from Russian and coincided with the last name of the gunman who killed students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012. Colt and his father were questioned at the time by a sheriff’s deputy, who gave the authorities the assurance that Colt did not have unsupervised access to weapons.

During the interview, Colin Gray acknowledged that Colt was experiencing bullying at school and was having difficulty adjusting to his parents’ divorce. The adolescent’s conduct may have been influenced by the tumultuous home life of the family. Police reports show that the youngster was living with his father during the separation of his parents, who were divorcing.

Colt’s maternal grandfather, Charlie Polhamus, placed some of the responsibility on the challenging circumstances the family faced. Charlie Polhamus told the newspaper, “I understand my grandson did a horrendous thing – there’s no question about it, and he’s going to pay the price for it.” “The surroundings in which my grandson lived played a role in his actions,” he continued.

Along with his father, who claimed authorities he had taken a picture of his son with deer bleed on his cheeks, the teenager went hunting frequently.

Colt apparently left an algebra class the day of the massacre and then came back trying to re-enter the room carrying a gun. Witnesses said that after seeing the weapon, the students retreated and heard ten to fifteen bullets. After prompt action by the school police, Colt turned himself in without any more problems.

Students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14 years old, as well as instructors Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were the victims of the attack. Despite the horrifying incident, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith stated that several of the nine injured people have already been released from the hospital and that all of them are expected to fully recover.

In the wake of a school shooting, the parents of a suspect are once again being held criminally accountable in this case. It centers on the well-known case of James and Jennifer Crumbley of Michigan, who received sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years in jail for their involvement in the school shooting in 2021 that left four people dead.

The Gray family is still being investigated, and Colt’s access to weapons may have been negligently handled.