The mother of Georgia school shooting suspect Colt Gray told ABC News on Tuesday that teachers had informed her that her son had made references to violence at the school, even earlier than when she called to notify administrators the day of the shooting.
Gray, 14, was arrested and charged with four counts of felony murder after killing two children and two teachers in a shooting Sept. 4 at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. Nine others were injured. His father, Colin Gray, also has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly permitting his son to have access to the weapon used in the shooting, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Marcee Gray told ABC News the last text she received from her son read, "I’m sorry, Mom." She said her husband also received texts from their son that morning that "basically said the same thing," adding that another text said, "you’re not to blame for this."
She said she was "petrified" by the texts to her husband and called the school, and that's when she received the "I'm sorry, Mom" text from her son.
Marcee Gray said she called her son’s school six days earlier because she wanted him "to be admitted to an inpatient treatment" center and that her son was "on board with it."
"The counselor said, ‘I wanted to let you know that earlier this morning, one of Colt’s teachers had sent me an email saying Colt had been making references to school shootings,’ " she said.
After learning of the shooting, Marcee Gray said she "fell to the ground and just started screaming. I knew what had happened. I just knew in my gut."
"Between my gut feelings, the text messages, and now this email, you need to, like, run to the classroom," she said.
Marcee Gray said she wishes she could take the place of the victims.
"What happened to them and their sweet, innocent babies is just unfathomable," she said. "If I could take their place, I would. I would in a heartbeat."
Colt Gray and Colin Gray made their initial court appearances Friday. Neither entered a plea and are scheduled to return to court Dec. 4.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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