High school on lockdown
This story about the high school shooting hits home as this is the town I’ve called home for forty years.
Above is the face of the fourteen-year-old student who took his gun to school on September 4th. And killed four people; two were students, and two were teachers. I understand the teachers died trying to save their students. Nine others were injured. Apalachee High has over 1900 students and is better known as the Chee.
To say he was troubled is probably an understatement
It seems he and his siblings may have been neglected and abused. I kept wondering where his mother was. More about her later.
He has been in and out of several schools, which is hard on a child. I know firsthand, having moved seven times in three years, from the age of six to nine. God only knows what moving as a teen would have done to my frame of mind.
Today, I am trying to provide some background about how evil entered this teen.
First, in 2023, the father and son were interviewed by a Jackson County deputy
The FBI handed a case of threats made against schools to JC to do the follow-up. However, Colt alleged his online account had been hacked, and he did not make the threats to shoot up any schools. This seems to be where it ended.
Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum says the person who interviewed the father and son is no longer with JC.
Now we know the father gave the son an AKR-15-style gun for Christmas after the interview. If he was the abuser, supplying a gun to the son seems risky to me as an abused and depressed child. As an adult, he should face the greatest of charges.
Accordingly, no warning was placed on his school transcript
Therefore, no one at Apalachee suspected he might be dangerous when he registered for this school year.
What the GBI has shared about the High School Shooting
First, Colt Gray enrolled at Apalachee High School on August 14.
Second, School started on the 1st.
Third, he missed nine days of school between the 14th and the September 4th shooting.
Fourth, he brought the gun into the school in his backpack.
Furthermore, a report states Colt Gray asked a teacher if he could go to the front office and speak to a counselor. The teacher allowed him to leave and take his belongings with him. Gray went to the restroom and hid from teachers.
He stayed there for several minutes.
When he came out, it appears he came out with the rifle and began shooting.
From what I have read this past week regarding the High School Shooting
His mother has spent time in jail, has a drug problem and is living several hours away in south Georgia. The father is labeled as an alcoholic and drug user and has a record. Drug addiction is such a problem nowadays; it’s a wonder we don’t have more incidents of violence. Please pray for those affected by substance abuse of any kind.
The mother says the teen called or texted her that morning and said he was going to shoot up the school. Then she called a warning to the school. I haven’t heard the details of this call. As far as I know, law enforcement has not spoken about this.
When he bleached his hair, was it something to throw off law enforcement if he thought he would get away? Did that confuse the staff at the school looking for him among the many students? Do office staff have photos of the students in a database they can search?
In case you need it, here is a link to talk to your children about traumatic events.
At this time, Colt Gray faces four counts of felony murder
The 14-year-old will stand trial as an adult; if convicted, he could face up to life in prison. Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith states he will face additional charges when the injured are well enough to be interviewed.
His father is also under arrest
The father is Colin Gray. His charges are two counts of second-degree murder. Four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Colin Gray gave his son a firearm. Knowing he was a threat to himself and others, the arrest warrant affidavit states. If convicted on all counts, the father could face up to 180 years in prison.
The shooter and his father have not entered pleas.
This shooting brought so many memories flooding back
9/11 happened on my sister’s birthday, and she lives in Manhattan. I could not reach her.
Communication, as you know, was impossible until late that night. She is the youngest of us six. Finally, I heard that she was physically okay.
Still, all these years later, some sounds will cause her anxiety. I imagine the smells being hard to handle. Those would probably only be something one would experience again as a first responder.
Lord, how do they deal with trauma day in and day out? Only you and they know.
Now I write to help others heal from abuse. Trauma is one of the things the Immanuel Approach heals. It is the method that helped me walk free from years of pain, and I still use it and recommend it wholeheartedly.
My prayer is for troubled people to get the help they need. If you have someone needing help, I hope you’ll pray about getting them to church. If it’s healing from emotional wounds or trauma, take the time to read about The Immanuel Approach.
The quote on the back of this shirt is from Jud Smith, The Barrow County Sheriff. Our community has come together to support the students, staff, and families of The Chee. You can buy t-shirts, ribbons, yard signs, businesses having fundraisers, and then you’ll also find go-fund pages. We still need prayers. Thanks to all those who have reached out and supported The Chee, its students, and staff.
