Faculty capturing suspect was a 'good boy' who had troubles at house, his father advised authorities final 12 months

The mom of the 14-year-old suspect in a deadly shooting at a Georgia high school was arrested final 12 months on household violence costs, courtroom information present — the newest indication the teenager accused of killing 4 individuals had a turbulent house life. 

Colt Grey’s mom, Marcee Grey, pleaded responsible in December to second-degree legal injury of property and legal trespass-family violence, Barrow County courtroom information present. 

She additionally had warrants out for her arrest stemming from a November 2023 incident wherein medication, together with methamphetamine and fentanyl, have been present in her automobile, in response to warrants obtained by NBC Information. 

These particulars emerged Friday after the shooting suspect’s father, Colin Grey, was arrested on allegations that he allowed his son to own a weapon. The 54-year-old purchased his son an AR-15-style rifle as a present, in response to two regulation enforcement sources conversant in the investigation.

Each father and son appeared in courtroom for the primary time Friday.

The son is accused of fatally capturing two students and two teachers at Apalachee Excessive Faculty, the place he was a brand new pupil, on his first full day of lessons, authorities mentioned. 

His father faces 14 costs, together with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree homicide and cruelty to kids. He faces as much as 180 years in jail if convicted on all costs.

The coed victims of Wednesday’s capturing are Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, who have been each 14. Math academics Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, have been additionally killed. 

On the suspected gunman’s final faculty, he was ridiculed so usually that he requested to alter faculty districts, his father mentioned, in response to transcripts of an interview he did in Could 2023 with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Workplace over allegations that his son had made on-line threats to hold out a faculty capturing. 

After the interview final 12 months, the teenager was not arrested as a result of he couldn’t be tied to a web-based account from which the threats have been made, authorized paperwork present.

He had proven curiosity in prior mass shootings, significantly the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in response to two senior regulation enforcement officers briefed on the investigation. The knowledge got here because of the searches performed within the investigation into the capturing.

At house, the teenager struggled after his mother and father separated and after his household was evicted from their house, which cut up him from his two youthful siblings, the transcripts present.  

“He’s gone by rather a lot,” Colin Grey advised the Jackson County Sheriff’s investigator in Could 2023, when his son was being investigated over the risk allegations. 

In two interviews with the investigator final 12 months, Colin Grey revealed his son was having a troublesome time coping with challenges at house and at college. He didn’t categorical issues that his son would perform a bloodbath. 

Colin Grey mentioned his son denied the declare and mentioned he didn’t need to be “caught up in any of that.” 

“He’s like, ‘I’m an excellent boy, daddy. I might by no means do it,’” the daddy advised the investigator. “I really feel unhealthy for him as a result of all that stuff occurred.”

Colin Grey mentioned his son was “picked on” and bodily pinched by his classmates at his final center faculty. The obvious bullying prompted the daddy to talk with the college’s directors a number of occasions out of his personal frustration.

“I don’t need him to battle anyone, however they only hold, like, pinching him and touching him,” he mentioned, in response to the transcript. “Phrases are one factor, however you begin touching him and that’s an entire totally different deal.”

Colin Grey mentioned the battle “escalated.” He mentioned his son, who will get “flustered” underneath strain, couldn’t give attention to his finals and mentioned he wished to maneuver out of the college district.

“He needs to be enthusiastic about entering into eighth grade,” his father mentioned. “It was simply very troublesome for him to go to high school.”

In response to questions from the investigator, Colin Grey mentioned he had weapons at house that have been accessible to his son however they weren’t loaded. 

Colin Grey mentioned he would have been “mad as hell” and would have taken all of the weapons away if he discovered his son did certainly make these on-line threats. 

The daddy mentioned he launched his son to bow looking after which finally superior to firearms.

He mentioned his son shot his first deer in 2023. He mentioned he has a photograph of that second, displaying the boy with blood on his cheeks. 

Colin Grey indicated that his son’s mom was concerned in “numerous crap.”

After the household violence costs, Marcee Grey was ordered to don’t have any contact with Colin Grey, besides by a 3rd get together and on issues that concerned the youngsters or a divorce, information present. 

Marcee Grey couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.