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Father of Georgia school shooter told police ‘best day’ was when son killed deer
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Father of Georgia school shooter told police ‘best day’ was when son killed deer

Colin Gray, the father of suspected Georgia school shooter Colt Gray, has previously expressed pride in his teenage son’s hunting prowess as he spoke to authorities investigating alleged threats the boy made to carry out a school shooting in 2023.

Now the son, 14, has been charged with four counts of murder in connection with the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., that left four people dead. Colin, 54, was also arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.

In May 2023, the son was questioned by police about alleged threats he made to commit a school shooting, the FBI Atlanta division previously said.

“The father stated that he had hunting rifles in his home, but that the suspect did not have unescorted access to them. The suspect denied making the threats online,” the FBI said.

During a conversation with investigators, Colin reportedly said he had been teaching his son about guns and hunting in an effort to get him to spend more time outdoors and play less video games. The New York Times reported, citing a recently released audio transcript.

According to the transcript, which was also obtained by PBS, Colin described a photo of him after he “shot his first deer” and said it was “the best day ever.”

According to the documents he cited The New York TimesColin owned several weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle.

Colt Gray (left) and Colin Gray.

HANDOUT/Barrow County Sheriff’s Office/AFP via Getty (2)


When asked by an investigator if the weapons were accessible, Colin allegedly said, “They’re … I mean, there’s nothing loaded, but they’re … we do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer hunting,” according to audio obtained by Fox News. Colin also allegedly said, “I get mad when he does that,” in response to his son’s alleged threat, and vowed to remove all access to the “weapons,” the outlet reported.

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According to the FBI, there were no grounds for an arrest or further law enforcement action, but local schools were notified for “continued monitoring of the subject.”

The Sept. 4 attack left two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, dead, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Nine others were hospitalized with injuries and are expected to “fully recover,” authorities said earlier.

Colin and the shooting suspect, who will be tried as adults, made their first court appearances on Friday, September 6.

A judge has ruled that the shooting suspect will not be sentenced to death because he is under 18, CNN reported. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 4. The judge said Colin could face up to 180 years in prison if found guilty on all counts, the outlet reported.