Students who panicked ran down the stairs and saw about half a dozen policemen on the hallway floor at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where the murder weapon lay, pending processing by crime scene investigators.
To no one’s surprise, the gun was an AR-15, which once again proved to be the school shooter’s weapon of choice. Police say 14-year-old Colt Gray used it along with two teachers to kill other 14-year-old students.
Police also believe the same black semi-automatic rifle was among several weapons that DSI Eviction Services crews removed from a Gray home in Jefferson, Georgia on July 25, 2022. Court papers say the Grays failed to pay rent. .
The family was away at the time, and after finding the firearms and several bows and arrows, the clearing crew turned them over to the police rather than leave them with the rest of their possessions at the end of the driveway.
A Jackson County Sheriff’s Office incident report notes, “Hunting bows and firearms with ammunition were placed in lockers #001 and #007 for safekeeping.
A subsequent sign reads, “Published for the family.”
Another police report stated that the family had split up at the time of the evacuation. Arms moved into a rented house with Colt and his father. The two young children had gone to a relative’s house with their mother, Markie.
On May 21, 2023, Investigator Dan Miller and Deputy Justin Elliott visited Colt’s new home on a tip from the FBI that someone with his IP address had talked about a mass shooting at a school the next day on the messaging platform Discord.
Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said police initially spoke with the father, Colin, who was arrested Thursday.
The interview was recorded.
The father allowed that Colt had some problems at school, and was bullied.
“He comes across as restless and under pressure,” added the father. “He’s not really thinking straight.”
The father said he was often at his son’s middle school and wanted to ask the people there, “Can we just know you put your arm around him, take him to seventh grade.”
Miller asked if there were any weapons in the house.
“There is,” replied the father. “I mean there’s nothing loaded but they’re down … we actually shoot a lot. We hunt deer a lot. He shot his first deer this year.”
Feather continued, “I’m trying to teach him about firearms and safety and how to do all that and get him interested in the outdoors. And get him away from those video games.”
The father showed investigators a photo on his phone that he hoped would change online gaming for his son.
“The picture on my phone, you see him with blood on his cheek shooting his first deer,” the father said. “It was the greatest day ever.”
“He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do and how to use them and not use them,” the father added.
The father said he wants investigators to speak directly to Colt about the alleged school shooting threat.
“I don’t know anything about him saying that,” said the father. “I go crazy like he did and then all the guns go away. And they won’t be able to access it.
The father asked the investigator to clarify to his son that there is nothing funny about school shootings.
“Like it’s no joke,” said the father.
“Well, if it was we wouldn’t be here,” Miller replied.
“I’m telling you right now,” said the father, “we talk about it quite a bit.” “All the school shootings, the things that happen.”
“Yeah, it’s scary,” Miller said.
“He’s being picked on at school,” said the father. “That’s why I keep going up there.”
He added, “Because you never, you never really know and I don’t want anything to happen to him.”
The father went to pick up Colt, who said he had stopped using Discord.
“Oh bruh, man, like a few months ago,” Colt said.
“Did you ever hear someone say something like that when you were using Discord?” Miller asked
“I don’t think so,” Colt replied. “I don’t think I’ll ever…”
“This is some serious stuff,” Miller said.
“Yeah, I know,” Colt told him.
“Oh, he knows how serious it is,” said the father. “Trust me.”
“I just want to make sure you understand that if something like this happens or you hear something like that, report it,” Miller told Colt.
“Yes,” Colt replied. “Yes sir.”
“And is it you who say you said no such thing?” Miller asked. again
“The only thing I have is TikTok, but I go there and watch videos,” Colt told her.
“I have to hold you to your word and I hope you are honest with me.” Miller said.
“Oh yes sir,” Colt assured him.
“I’m not saying you’re lying but… it’s not uncommon for people to lie to the police. OK?” Miller said.
“He’s familiar, and so am I,” said the father.
Colt said his school year was over. Miller asked what grade he was going into in the fall. said the eighth colt.
“Almost high school, man,” Miller noted.
“Yes,” Colt said.
“The last four years have been important,” Miller said.
“I’m trying to, you know, just focus,” Colt said.
“Get ’em good grades, man,” Miller said. “It will set you up for the rest of your life.”
“I try to tell my son that,” said the father.
Miller departed. He recorded a phone call from the father, which the latter made from a construction site where he worked.
“He’s like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,'” the father said of Colt. “He’s like, ‘I’m a good boy, Dad. I would never do that.’
The father reiterated that Colt was having a hard time at school.
“I don’t want him to fight anybody, but they just keep pinching him and touching him and, like, words are one thing, but you start touching him and it’s a whole different deal,” the father said. said the father. “And it’s just, it escalated to a point where his finals were last week and that was the last thing on his mind.”
The father said he was trying to get Colt on the golf team, but the other kids were saying no. “’Oh, look Colt’s gay. He’s dating that guy.’ Just used to make fun of him day in and day out.”
The father then spoke again of having introduced his son to hunting.
“Then it was the pellet gun, then it was the .22 and gun safety, all because I’m concerned about him and the school,” the father said.
The father reassured Miller that his son “is in your mindset that if there’s anything he can do or say or give you information, he wants to do it.”
Miller then asked what seemed like an odd question that he allowed.
“Your son doesn’t know any Russian?” Miller asked.
“He doesn’t know any Russian,” said the father.
Miller told him that there was a photo on the Discord account with Russian characters on it.
“That translated into the name Lanza,” Miller said. “Remember Adam Lanza? Is the shooter over there in Sandy Hook?”
Lanza used an AR-15 to kill 20 youths and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
“Yes. Sure do,” said the father.
“But I don’t think your son is dishonest,” said Miller.
“I’ll talk to him a little more about it,” said the father. “He wants to know what happened and where it all came from.”
The case was closed due to lack of evidence. Colt entered eighth grade that fall. He then attended Apalachee High School.
And on Wednesday, a black AR-15 with a scope lay on the hallway floor.
Colt went from killing his first deer to being accused of murdering two fellow teenagers along with two teachers.
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