The former neighbors of suspected Georgia high school shooter Colt Gray shared insights into the family’s chaotic home. The current owners of Colt’s former home described it as being in disarray when they bought it in 2019. Mauree Gray warned the current neighbors of Colt’s volatile mood on the day of the move, referring to him as Coly. Despite the warning, Colt seemed high and did not interact much during the move-in process. The lack of supervision of the children, including Colt, was noted by the neighbors, who also pointed out the growth chart of Colt that the family had to measure his progress before the parents’ tumultuous divorce.
Other neighbors corroborated stories of Colin Gray’s volatile mood, with one sharing a heartbreaking interaction with Marcee Gray where she attempted to seek refuge in a neighbor’s home from her husband. Following the incident, Marcee Gray left a note thanking the neighbor for potentially saving her life. Another neighbor described Colt as a bright and witty child when he was younger. After the sale of their Statham home, the Gray family appeared to spiral, with the parents divorcing and separating the three children. Colt went to live with his father, while his younger siblings resided with their mother. The family then rented two homes before moving to Winder, Georgia, where they were living at the time of the Apalachee High School shooting.
The shooting at Apalachee High School resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to nine others. The two students killed were identified as Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14 years old. Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were also among the victims. The shooting was first reported at 9:30 a.m., with law enforcement responding within minutes. Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect, is being charged as an adult with four counts of murder for using a semiautomatic AR-style rifle in the shooting. His father, Colin Gray, also faces related charges, with prosecutors trying to hold parents responsible for their children’s actions in school shootings.
District Attorney Brad Smith emphasized that everyone in the community is a victim of the shooting, even those who were not physically injured. The tragedy has brought attention to the need for greater accountability for parents in preventing school shootings and supporting children who may exhibit violent tendencies. The heartbreaking stories from the former neighbors provide a glimpse into the difficulties faced by the Gray family prior to the tragic events at Apalachee High School. The need for mental health support and intervention for families in crisis has been highlighted as a crucial aspect of preventing such devastating incidents in the future.
