Georgia authorities have released audio from the 2023 visit to the home of the alleged Georgia high school shooter after an anonymous report to the FBI over online threats about “possibly threatening to shoot up a middle school” in a group chat on messaging app Discord surfaced.
Jackson County, Georgia, sheriff’s officers spoke face-to-face with the boy who is now charged with felony murder in the deaths of four at Apalachee High School in Winder on Wednesday.
The sheriff’s officers described their interactions in a detailed investigation report from May 21, 2023, when suspect Colt Gray was 13 years old, after being tipped off by the FBI about a threat on the messaging app Discord, popular with some video gamers, to shoot up a middle school.
When the police begin questioning Colin Gray, the father shares more about Gray’s home life and the accusation, saying this visit is b*****t and a terrorist threat.
The suspected shooter was identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student. (The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office)
“He’s going through a lot…very difficult for him to go to school and not get picked on,” Colin said.
Colin tells the officer that he and Colt’s mom got divorced and that they had been evicted.
“He struggled at first with the separation. I’ve been taking him to school. He goes to Jefferson Middle school. He’s been doing really good,” Colin explained.
The officer acknowledges the severity of the visit and Colin agrees and says that Colt “knows how serious it is, trust me.”
Colin claims he’s been up to the school multiple times, blames it on other kids touching his son and says Colt wanted to move out of the school district.
Colin then claims he keeps getting picked on and talks about the importance of gun safety.
“Let me ask you this – do you have any weapons in the house?” the officer asks.
“I do,” Colin says.
WHO IS THE ALLEGED GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER? WHAT WE KNOW
From left to right: Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were killed at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, along with Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, officials say. (Fox News)
“Are they accessible,” the officer then asks.
“They are…I mean there’s nothing loaded, but they are…we do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer hunting. He shot his first deer this year,” Colin says. “like I’m pretty much in shock…I’m pissed off to be honest with you.”
“I’m a little taken back by the whole thing, but I can tell you this, I take that very serious and so does he, as a matter of fact,” Colin says.
“I don’t know anything about him saying s**t like that. And I’m going to be mad as hell if he did, and then all the guns will go away and they won’t be accessible to him,” Colin continues. “You know, I’m trying to be honest. I’m trying to teach him about firearms and safety and how to do it all and get him an interest in the outdoors.”
“Get him away from the video game,” the officer responds.
“Yeah. Exactly. Right. That’s the best. The God honest truth is, the picture on my phone is him with blood on his cheeks when he shoot his first deer. It’s just the greatest day ever,” Colin says. “So sure, he knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do and how to use them and not use them.”
A person kneels in front of flowers that are placed outside the entrance to Apalachee High School on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 in Winder, Ga., a day after deadly shootings at the school. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
“So it’s kind of a little bit of a shock. So whatever y’all are telling him, please instill in him what if this is whatever or wherever some come from is no joke. No, like it’s no joke,” Colin continued.
“We wouldn’t be here,” the officer said.
“No, I know, I know, and I’m telling you right now we talk about it quite a bit. All the school shootings, things that happen. Yeah, I hear you getting picked on at school. He is. He’s getting picked on at school. And. Is everything okay? That’s why I keep going up there. No. You know, because you just never you never really know. And I don’t want anything to happen to him, so. Yeah. Yeah,” Colin finished.
The officer then asks to speak to Colt and Colin agrees to get him.
Colt enters the room and the officer tells him there will be a report. The officer seems to take Colt at his word, and they even share a laugh about people lying to police.
The officer and Colt exchanged small talk about school, the end of school and moving on to high school.
Colin Gray, 54, faces multiple charges over the alleged actions of his son, Colt Gray, 14, including four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
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On Thursday, authorities said the elder Gray knowingly allowed his son to possess a weapon.
He is being held at the Barrow County jail.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.
