Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith reportedly offered new details about how authorities believe accused Apalachee High School killer Colt Gray obtained the rifle used during the attack and managed to conceal it at the campus where he allegedly killed four and injured nine.
Smith reportedly told Fox 5 Atlanta the rifle used during the attack was purchased legally after a background check was completed by Colin Gray, the father of Colt Gray. The purchase was made at a gun store just miles away from Apalachee High School, which the outlet reported is now cooperating with law enforcement.
It was previously reported Colin Gray gifted his son the rifle last Christmas, just months after an FBI tip claiming Colt Gray wrote messages about a mass shooting prompted Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies to interview the father and son.
Colin Gray was charged last week with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
After confirming the rifle was purchased by Colin Gray, the sheriff also reportedly indicated that Colt Gray acted alone during his alleged attack, stating, “A young person brought a gun into a school, committed an evil act, and he took lives.”
The outlet also reported, “Smith disclosed that investigators believe Colt Gray managed to carry the rifle into the school by concealing it in a backpack, holding onto it until second period,” but Fox 5 Atlanta clarified it is unclear whether the rifle was disassembled within the backpack.
Marcee Gray, who is the mother of Colt Gray, divorced Colin Gray sometime last year, when she wrote social media posts claiming the father was abusive toward his family.
On Wednesday, Marcee Gray released an “open letter” to CNN, which reported the mother declared her son is “not a monster.”
Marcee Gray wrote she would “take the places” of those authorities say were killed by her son “without a second thought,” according to the outlet. She wrote, “We are all in a living nightmare right now, and I will personally never forgive myself for what has happened.”
According to CNN, the mother concluded her letter by writing, “My son Colt is not a monster. He is my oldest baby. He is quiet, thoughtful, caring, funny, and extremely intelligent. Please pray for him and the rest of our family, as I am praying for all of you every moment of every day.”
On Monday, Marcee Gray revealed she was contacted by a counselor at Apalachee High School on the morning of the attack with a message that warned Colt Gray made references to a school shooting during one of his classes, which is what prompted her to call the school and warn of an “extreme emergency” involving her son.
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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].
