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School Officials had more than one warning, far enough ahead of what happened that it should have been prevented. Their lawyers are going to have a tough time controlling that damage. Emerging details from the mass shooting at Apalachee High in Winder, Georgia, indicate when the mom called to give them a heads up, the counselor mentioned getting an email from a teacher earlier. Colt had been saying some disturbing things. Then, there was yet a third warning. An “unknown person” called to say there would be shootings at five schools by the end of the day and “Apalachee would be first.” Nobody took any action to prevent what happened next.
School officials on notice
She was 200 miles away from Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, when Marcee Gray got a text from her 14-year-old son, Colt. She instantly knew something really bad was about to happen, even though all it said was “I’m sorry, mom.”
She quickly called his counselor, who knows the entire family well. That was Wednesday morning but still before the shooting.
When Marcee asked administrators to check on him, the counselor remarked, funny you should mention that. It seems earlier that morning “one of Colt’s teachers had sent me an email that said Colt had been making references to school shootings.”
He should have pulled the big red fire alarm switch on the wall right that second but he didn’t. Even before the teacher complained, the office took a call noting “there would be shootings at five schools that day, and Apalachee would be first.”
“I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find Colt to check on him,” Marcee texted her sister. “I don’t understand what took them so long.” Colt Gray killed two teachers and two fellow students. “Seven others were wounded by being shot, and two others suffered other injuries.”
Lawyers for the victims will now argue that the school failed to act on credible threats so they’re fully responsible for what happened. The parents may not have two nickels to rub together but the district has deep pockets and good insurance. They’re going to need it.
Matching father and son charges
Apparently Colt Gray’s father was such an upstanding pillar of the community he made a perfect role model. He bought his boy an assault rifle and took him hunting to “toughen him up.” Mom’s a character as well, with a rap sheet going back two decades and full of meth related offenses. She was thrilled when he killed his first deer.
When the family were evicted from their home, they left the dogs behind. Police had a little chat with both father and son about plans to do a school shooting a full year ago.
That’s why Colt Gray “is charged with four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult.” His 54-year-old father, Colin Gray, will also stand trial. He’s accused of “knowingly allowing” Colt to have the weapon used in the school shooting.
They booked him in on “four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.” They’re both looking at life in prison.
All the other schools in the district except Apalachee High have gone back to class. The year’s just getting kicked off and everyone’s having a hard time concentrating.
“We know the days ahead are going to be difficult and that we have some staff and some students who are not ready to return to school,” administrators note. They promise to act faster next time, accepting “responsibility to provide a safe space for those who are.“
