Audio reveals father of accused Georgia school shooter Colt Gray gave his son a rifle at age 13
An audio recording of Colin Gray’s grilling by sheriff’s officers last year reveals how he gave his son a rifle at age 13 to kill deer — to get him away from video games.
Gray, 54, is now facing manslaughter and murder charges of his own after his son, Colt Gray, allegedly opened fire, killing four, at his Georgia high school with a gun he received from his father as a Christmas gift.
The dad admitted to cops during the May 2023 in-person interview that Colt had access to weapons in the house in Jefferson but insisted they weren’t loaded.
“We actually do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer-hunting — he shot his first deer this year,” Gray said of his then-13-year-old son.
The father told officers he was “in shock” and “a little pissed off” by the allegations that prompted their visit — namely, that Colt had made threatening references on Discord, an online messaging platform popular with gamers, to pulling off a school shooting.
“I don’t know anything about him saying s–t like that, and I’m gonna be mad as hell if he did,” Gray said.
“And then all the guns will go away and they won’t be accessible to him,” he added.
The elder Gray then painted a portrait that the boy’s ready access to guns was part of his effort to show him the ropes as a budding outdoorsman.
“I’m trying to teach him about firearms and safety and how to do it all, and get him interested in the outdoors,” he said.
What we know about alleged Georgia school shooter Colt Gray's family
- Georgia school shooting suspect Colt Gray had a difficult home life filled with abuse and neglect.
- Gray’s mother, Marcee, has had multiple drug and domestic violence arrests.
- Gray’s father, Colin, allegedly bought his troubled son an AR-15 rifle for Christmas. He is facing charges for supplying the weapon.
- Lauren Vickers, a neighbor of the family, says the children were often locked out of the home.
- Charles Polhamus, Colt’s maternal grandfather, says Colin Gray was verbally abusive toward his grandson and daughter.
- Colt’s aunt, Annie Brown, says Colt had been struggling with his mental health.
The sheriff’s officer interjected with a slight chuckle, “And get him away from those video games.”
“That’s exactly right. That’s the God’s honest truth,” Gray responded before explaining a picture on his phone showing Colt with “blood on his cheeks” was from the deer he bagged on a recent hunting trip, which the dad called “the greatest day ever.”
He also took pains to reassure the officers that Colt respected firearm safety.
“He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do and how to use them and not use them,” Gray said — while urging the officers to make it clear to Colt that the FBI’s allegations were “no joke.”
Gray even said he and his sonhad discussed the topic of school shootings “quite a bit.” The dad said he’s regularly at the school because his son was getting picked on.
The recording ends with Gray going to summon Colt to speak with the officers.
The tragic Georgia high school shooting: Here’s what’s known so far
- High school shooting suspect warned he will face life in prison as dad sobs uncontrollably as they face judge after bloody school assault
- Dad of alleged Ga. school shooter Colt Gray arrested, hit with murder and manslaughter charges: officials
- Accused Ga. school shooter Colt Gray, 14, received gun used in massacre as Christmas gift from dad — months after online threats probe: sources
- Who are the four victims of the Apalachee High School shooting?
- Georgia school shooting suspect’s father called 2023 visit by police over online threats ‘bull—-‘: audio
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office opened the probe into the FBI’s warnings but closed it down within just a few days after being unable to definitively corroborate some of the agency’s claims.
Colt ended up switching schools allegedly because of the bullying — and is now accused of shooting up the next school he went to, Apalachee HS, about 15 minutes away.
Colt and his father both appeared in the same courtroom minutes apart Friday morning after being taken into custody Thursday.
The boy, who wore shackles on his hands and feet and wore green prison clothing, faces life in prison if convicted of the four counts of murder against him.
Gray was dressed in a charcoal-striped jail uniform and closed his eyes and cried and rocked back-and-forth in his seat. Judge Currie Mingledorff informed him he faced up to 180 years in prison if convicted on all charges, including those around providing the troubled youth with the AR-15-style rifle used in the massacre.
