Georgia Teenage School Shooter Appears In Court With Father While Community Mourns

Daily Report September 07,2024

The father of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old accused of a deadly high school shooting in Georgia, left behind his family’s dogs and wedding photos when evicted from their home, but later “kicked in the door” to retrieve his guns, according to the family’s former landlord.

Colin and Marcee Gray were described as difficult tenants before falling behind on rent and being evicted in 2020, the ex-landlord told the Independent. The couple, along with their three children, including Colt, were forced to leave their home that year.

The landlord, who requested to remain anonymous, said the family left behind their two German Shepherds and several personal belongings. “I imagine the next place where they were renting didn’t allow dogs, so they just left them,” he claimed, noting that the couple ignored his attempts to reunite them with their pets.

Among other items left behind were a golf bag, an archery set, various tools, and the Grays’ wedding photos. “They left their wedding photos,” the landlord said. “My wife tried to contact Marcee to say, ‘Hey, do you want these? Like, you can have them.’ And she never responded. So we ended up having to throw away their wedding pictures.”

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The landlord said that Colin Gray returned to the property only after the locks had been changed to retrieve his firearms. “He kicked in the door to get his guns out,” the landlord reported. Despite the damage, police advised against pursuing charges, saying that Gray had “stolen” back his own property.

Colt Gray was arrested on September 4, 2024, and charged with murdering four people at Apalachee High School. His mother, Marcee, 43, reportedly has a lengthy criminal record involving drug and domestic violence arrests.

The landlord, who had not thought about the family for years, was reminded of them when their names appeared in news reports. “And then it all comes back,” he said.

The shooting took place on Wednesday, leaving four people dead: students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. The incident has shocked the community and brought intense scrutiny to Colt’s parents, especially after it was revealed that Colin Gray had purchased the AR-15-style rifle Colt allegedly used in the massacre as a Christmas gift just months prior.

“These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey at a press conference, without providing further details.

In court on Friday, Colt, who will be tried as an adult, was warned that he faces life in prison if convicted.

Neighbors recalled troubled interactions with the family, including Lauren Vickers, who lived next door to the Grays in Jefferson, Georgia. She described “immediate problems” when the Grays moved into the neighborhood in 2022. “There were nights where the mom would lock him and his sister out the house. And they would be banging on the back door, just screaming like ‘Mom! mom! mom!’ and crying. It was absolutely devastating,” she said.

Colin Gray now faces four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, stemming from the tragic events at Apalachee High School.