Family members of Colt Gray, who police say killed four and injured nine at Apalachee High School last Wednesday, have reportedly claimed they tried to warn school officials after the teen reported “homicidal and suicidal thoughts” in the weeks prior to the attack.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday it obtained text messages between Marcee Gray, the mother of Colt Gray (pictured above, left), Annie Polhamus Brown, the biological sister of Marcee Gray and aunt of Colt Gray, as well as other family members, which suggest the school was advised Colt Gray experienced such thoughts in the week prior to the attack.
According to The Post, text messages “show that the school and family were in contact about” the mental health of Colt Gray, with Brown informing an unnamed relative the teen was having “homicidal and suicidal thoughts.” The messages were apparently sent “a week before the shooting,” the outlet reported.
It was also reported that Marcee Gray (pictured above, right) claimed in text messages that she attempted to inform Apalachee High School staff on the morning of the attack that an “extreme emergency” would shortly unfold involving Colt Gray.
“I was the one that notified the school counselor at the high school,” Marcee Gray told Annie Gray, according to the outlet. “I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find [my son] to check on him.”
The Post also claimed Brown provided screenshots and other phone records that showed Marcee Gray attempted to contact the school approximately 30 minutes prior to the attack. The Associated Press confirmed on Sunday that Brown provided the information to The Post.
The Georgia Star News contacted the Barrow County School System to ask about the Colt Gray’s attendance within the school system, but was directed to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation by Superintendent Dallas LeDuff, who said the district “will continue to cooperate with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served for all victims of this cruel and senseless act.”
LeDuff told Star News, “Barrow County Schools will continue to cooperate with law Our focus is currently on healing our community and supporting our students during this incredibly difficult time.”
Since charges were filed against Colt Gray, his father Colin Gray, and his mother Marcee Gray, it has been reported the teen suffered from a “broken homelife,” and social media posts by Marcee Gray claim the family suffered abuse from Colin Gray.
Colt Gray was reportedly gifted the weapon used in the shooting by Colin Gray last Christmas, meaning the teen received the weapon only months after Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies interviewed the father and son following an FBI tip about threats related to an attack on a school.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Colt Gray” by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and “Marcee Gray” is by Marcee Gray.
