Open Questions About The Apalachee High School Shooting That We Need Answered

On September 4, 2024, a 14-year-old student opened fire at Apalachee High School. The Winder, Georgia facility became the site of the 218th school shooting in the United States that year. Two teachers and two students were killed, and nine others were injured. As reported by CNN, authorities said that the suspect, Colt Gray, will be charged with murder. His father, Colin, was also arrested. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the elder Gray is facing numerous charges: four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.

In the wake of the horrific incident, politicians like Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called for gun law reform, and many Americans echoed her sentiments. There were also eyes on the reports of the event itself that began to trickle out. Like the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump just months earlier, there are open questions about the Apalachee High School shooting that still need to be answered.

Colt and Colin Gray were both questioned by the Jackson County Sheriff's office in May 2023. The FBI had received tips about someone threatening to commit a school shooting in online messages posted on Discord, and the trail led them to then-13-year-old Colt. It was apparently a dead end — according to the bureau, there wasn't enough evidence to arrest the teen. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that months later, in December 2023, Colin purchased his son an AR-style weapon. The gun type has been used in dozens of mass shootings over the last few decades and many school shootings like Parkland and Sandy Hook.

The question of why Colt's father would purchase his son a weapon after he allegedly threatened a school shooting is a significant one. It may also come into play when Colin faces trial for his own charges. Per CBS News, GBI Director Chris Hosey said Colin was arrested for "knowingly allowing his son to possess a weapon." Colt is just 14 years old, and both state and federal law require firearm buyers to be 18 or older. Georgia law does not, however, set a minimum age to possess a rifle.

According to CNN, an unknown caller phoned the school the morning of September 4 and said there would be five school shootings that day — and Apalachee would be the first target. The GBI said evidence doesn't yet support this claim, but did not rule out the possibility. "There is no evidence of a list of schools being targeted; however, there is a lot of evidence that is being recovered and evaluated," it said in an update on its ongoing probe of the shooting. "Investigators are diligently reviewing leads to determine if there are any active threats." Interestingly, the bureau did acknowledge a call made to another closeby school that morning. "There was a call to another local high school this morning with a reported threat," it said. "Police responded, investigated, and determined there was no threat."

If the school was warned, though, did law enforcement take action? If not, why? Students headed to class as usual, and as of this writing, no reports suggest precautionary measures taken that morning. Law enforcement said a security system installed within the week prior did help save lives by allowing staff to alert them of the active shooter, The Washington Post reported. Per USA Today, GBI claimed Barrow County Sheriff's Office was notified of an active shooter at 10:20 a.m. ET, and school resource officers and law enforcement officials arrived minutes later.

Thus far, little is known about Colt's school life and whether officials were concerned about it. As reported by the Independent, Apalachee High School student Lyela Sayarath said her former classmate was quiet and didn't attend class often. According to the Georgia Department of Education, a student is considered a truant if they have "more than five days of unexcused absences during calendar school year." It's unclear if Colt was deemed a truant, and if he was, what — if anything — was done about it. It's also unclear if school officials were aware that their student was questioned by authorities for threats of a school shooting in 2023.

Colt might have been bullied, too, leading to more questions. As reported by The Daily Beast, when his father was interviewed by the FBI in 2023, he said his son was "getting picked on." "That's why I keep going up there ... Because you just never — you never really know, and I don't want anything to happen to him," he continued. When Colin put Colt on the golf team, the other kids allegedly tormented him. "Oh, look Colt's gay,'" his father said of their insults. "He's dating that guy.' Just ridiculed him day after day after day." What we do know is that eventually, one person in his life reportedly contacted the school for help.

Colt Gray may have been experiencing mental health issues, though the nature of these purported issues and any possible help he received is not known for certain. His aunt, Annie Brown, told The Washington Post that he was "begging" for mental health treatment for months before the shooting. Brown also said she told relatives she was concerned that Colt possessed a gun. At some point, Colt's grandmother reportedly went to an Apalachee High School counselor to get help for the suspect. A week before the shooting, she texted her daughter, Annie, and said he was due to start therapy the next day.

Mental health is often a source of scrutiny when looking at murderers, but not everyone thinks it's as important a question as others. "[U]nderstand that mental illness as the primary cause of any mass murder, especially mass shooting, is uncommon," said Dr. Ragy Girgis, associate professor of clinical psychiatry in the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. Regardless, Annie placed the blame on those closest to him. "The adults around him failed him," she said.

The question of what compels someone to take another life is one that surrounds every murder case, including school shootings. It's one that is often left unanswered, even as people spend years combing through the killer's life for signs of what was to come. Suspected shooter Colt Gray seemed to have a troubled life. According to The Times, he grew up in a combative home environment. His mother had a methamphetamine addiction, and his parents often fought. His mother once even threatened to kill Colt and herself. Financial troubles affected the family, and after the suspect was questioned about his alleged threats online, FBI audio revealed his father was angry with his son.

Colt Gray also might have been intrigued by school shootings, as other mass murders before him have. As reported by The New York Times, authorities found evidence suggesting the student had an interest in the Parkland, Florida attack. In addition, CNN reported that the Discord account with the threats that Colt was questioned about referenced the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

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