14-year-old suspect in Georgia shooting had affinity for mass shooters: sources | WMAY

(WINDER, Georgia) – The teenager suspected of involvement in Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School that left four people dead apparently had an affinity for mass shooters, several sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.

Investigators are currently combing through social media posts mentioning previous mass shootings and their perpetrators. The suspect’s accounts are from officials who previously identified him as 14-year-old Colt Gray, the report said.

Over a year before Wednesday’s incident – in May 2023 – the FBI contacted local authorities at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office after a Discord user alerted the bureau of a possible shooting at a middle school.

The 2023 FBI tip about online threats traced to Colt Gray included a user profile written in Russian, sources said. Investigators with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said at the time that the translation of the Russian letters spelled out the name Lanza, referring to Adam Lanza, the mass murderer at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Documents from 2023 released Thursday reveal that Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was very concerned that his son was being “teased” and “mocked” day after day at school.

Gray said that’s why he visited his son’s school again in 2023.

When the deputy spoke to Colt Gray, the then 13-year-old told the officer that he had a Discord account but had deleted it months before they moved into a new home.

“I promise I would never say anything [like that]”, Colt Gray said, according to a transcript of his interview with the police officer about the reported threat of a school shooting.

The officer then said to Colt, “I have to take you at your word and hope you are honest with me.”

“Oh yes, sir,” Colt replied.

According to the 2023 interview, his father, Colt Gray, told the deputy that the family – and Colt Gray in particular – were going through a difficult time because Colt Gray’s mother had moved away with two of Colt’s younger siblings after the entire family was evicted from their home.

In a brief conversation between ABC News and Colt Gray’s aunt Annie Brown on Thursday, she said her nephew was “begging everyone around him for help.”

Charles Polhamus, Colt Gray’s maternal grandfather, told ABC’s Vera Drymon on Thursday that he believes the teenager’s father, Colin Gray, bears some responsibility.

“I blame where he deserves it. His father should also be convicted,” he said.

Colin Gray was arrested on Thursday and charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of child abuse. He is currently in custody and a court date was not immediately announced.

Colt Gray was arrested at the school on Wednesday. He is charged with four counts of murder, with additional charges expected, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. He will appear in court on Friday.

ABC News could not immediately determine whether Colt or Colin Gray was represented by an attorney.

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