Over a year before he allegedly opened fire Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Georgia, killing four, the suspected gunman was interviewed by law enforcement over threats he was accused of making on the online platform Discord.
The new details emerged Wednesday night and on Thursday when those interview transcripts were released by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office interviewed Wednesday’s suspected shooter, Colt Gray, then 13, and his father, Colin Gray, in May 2023 after a Discord user alerted the FBI about a possible threat of a shooting at a middle school.
According to a report about the interview by sheriff’s office investigator Daniel Miller Jr., Colt Gray denied the accusations and “expressed concern that someone is accusing him of threatening to shoot up a school, stating that he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner.”
“Colt assured me that he never made any threats to shoot up any school,” Miller wrote.
State of Georgia Chaplain Ronald Clark consoles students as they kneel in front of a makeshift memorial at Apalachee High School, on Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Georgia.
Jessica McGowan/Getty Images
Due to “the inconsistent nature of the information received by the FBI,” law enforcement officials were unable to confirm Colt Gray was behind the Discord account, and the case was cleared, according to the report.
Miller suggested to the then–13–year–old that he believed he might be lying, the report indicates, but ultimately couldn’t take further action.
“I gotta take you at your word, and I hope you’re being honest with me,” Miller told Colt Gray, according to the report.
The Discord account believed to be associated with Colt Gray had a username written in Russian, the report states, which — when translated into English — spelled out “Lanza,” the last name of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter Adam Lanza.
Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was also interviewed at the time and told Miller his son had recently “struggled a little bit.” The family had been evicted from their previous home — though Colin Gray claimed he had paid the rent — and then Colt Gray’s mother left, taking his two younger siblings with her. Colin Gray then found another house to rent for him and his son.
Colin Gray told Miller his son was “getting picked on at school” and that he had visited the school “countless times” to ensure Colt Gray was “good.”
“He gets flustered and under pressure. He doesn’t really think straight,” the father told Miller. “We’re up there all the time talking to the school.”
The father said he had spoken to his son about school shootings “quite a bit,” according to the transcript. He said he was “trying to teach [Colt] about firearms and safety” and to get him “interested in the outdoors,” and said his son “knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do.”
In response to the allegation that his son had threatened a shooting at the time, Colin Gray denied any knowledge of the threats but said he would take action if it turned out to be true.
“I don’t know anything about him saying s— like that,” Colin Gray said, according to the transcript. “I’m going to be mad as hell if he did and then all the guns will go away.”
According to the report, Miller advised Colin to keep his firearms locked away and to keep Colt Gray out of school for a time, but school had already ended by then for the year. The Sheriff’s Department later informed the FBI they had alerted area schools and would monitor Colt Gray.
Colt has been charged with four counts of felony murder, with additional charges expected, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Thursday. He will be tried as an adult.
Two teachers and two students were killed in Wednesday morning’s shooting: math teacher and football coach Richard Aspinwall, 39; math teacher Christina Irimie, 53; and students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, officials said.
In 2023, a tragic school shooting occurred in Georgia, leaving the community in shock and mourning the loss of innocent lives. In the aftermath of the shooting, officials conducted interviews with a suspect who had allegedly made online threats prior to the incident.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed to the public, was brought in for questioning by law enforcement officials shortly after the shooting took place. According to reports, the suspect had posted threatening messages on social media in the days leading up to the shooting, prompting concerns about their potential involvement in the tragic event.
During the interview, officials questioned the suspect about their online activity and any potential motives for carrying out such a heinous act. The suspect reportedly denied any involvement in the shooting and claimed that their online posts were meant as a joke or a form of venting frustration.
However, investigators are taking the online threats seriously and are continuing to gather evidence to determine the suspect’s level of involvement in the shooting. The suspect’s digital footprint, including their social media accounts and online communications, are being closely examined to piece together a timeline of events leading up to the shooting.
The incident has sparked a debate about the role of social media in inciting violence and the responsibility of individuals to report concerning behavior online. Many are calling for increased vigilance in monitoring online activity and taking threats seriously, especially in light of recent mass shootings across the country.
As the investigation into the 2023 Georgia school shooting continues, officials are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior or threats they may come across online. The tragic event serves as a reminder of the importance of taking all threats seriously and working together to prevent future acts of violence in our communities.
