Jailed dad of accused Georgia school shooter Colt Gray files to be separated from other inmates over ‘incalculable’ threats
The jailed father of alleged Georgia high school shooter Colt Gray requested to be held separately from other inmates due to concerns about backlash from the shooting that left two students and two teachers dead.
Colin Gray, 54, has received an “incalculable number of threats” since his 14-year-old son was identified as the suspect who allegedly killed four people at Apalachee High School in Winder on Sept. 4, the motion viewed by The Post read.
Some of the threats are “even calling for the death of the Defendant,” Gray’s legal team wrote.
“It is certain that those feelings of anger and retribution manifested in the collective psyche, of both the public and the community at large are not also represented in the individuals currently incarcerated with the Defendant at the Barrow County Detention Center,” the filing insisted.
Given the trauma experienced by the community, it would be “reckless” for the court to assume that there are no inmates at the facility who might wish to harm Gray, the motion argued.
Colin Gray was arrested on Friday and hit with over a dozen charges in connection with the Apalachee shooting, which Colt Gray allegedly carried out using the AR-style rifle his dad gave him for Christmas.
The teen’s father supposedly believed that the firearm could help with “toughening him up,” a relative of the boy’s mother told The Post.
“Colin always thought that Colt was too gentle and tender. That’s why I believe he gave him the rifle,” the source claimed.
In addition to four counts of involuntary manslaughter, Colin Gray is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
He is currently being held with no bond, the latest filing indicated. If convicted, he faces up to 180 years in prison.
Colt Gray surrendered to school resources officers at the scene, and was charged as an adult with four counts of felony murder.
His mother, Marcee, had called the high school shortly before the shooting to warn the administration about concerning texts she received from her son.
The school staff immediately jumped into action, but made the fatal mistake of searching for another student, Colton Gray, as opposed to the would-be gunman.
Colt Gray’s maternal grandfather, Charles Polhamus, blamed Colin Gray for the tragedy.
“Spending 11 years with that son of a bitch screaming and hollering every day — it can affect anybody,” Polhamus, 81, said of his ex-son-in-law.
“Colt has to pay for what he did, but I’m telling you, he was driven, no question in my mind,” Polhamus said. “He was driven by his father to do what he did. That’s as plain as I can put it, and I know I’m right.
“He needs the death penalty,” the grandfather said of the elder Gray.
Colt Gray was already on the authorities’ radar in May 2023, when he was flagged in connection with school shooting threats on the online messaging platform Discord.
An audio recording of Colin Gray’s discussion with sheriff’s officers from the original probe revealed that the then-13-year-old had access to weapons at home.
“We actually do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer-hunting — he shot his first deer this year,” the father said, adding that he was “in shock” and “a little pissed off” about the accusations.
“I don’t know anything about him saying s–t like that, and I’m gonna be mad as hell if he did,” he said.
