Georgia high school shooting suspect's mom defends her son in message to victims' families
Marcee Gray, mother of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, wrote open letter to victims' families
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The mother of the 14-year-old suspected of shooting up a Winder, Georgia, high school and killing four people last week has apologized to the victims’ families in an open letter, according to a new report.
"To the parents and families of those affected by the tragic events at Apalachee High School, I want to say that I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart," Marcee Gray, 43, the mother of Colt Gray, wrote in the letter she provided to CNN.
Just one week ago, Gray allegedly opened fire at the school, leaving two students and two teachers dead. Seven other victims had gunshot wounds, and two others suffered other injuries, police said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A woman believed to be Marcee Gray sits in a car outside the home of suspected Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray and his father in Winder, Georgia, on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Ben Hendren for Fox News Digital)
The victims were identified as Richard Aspinwall, 39; Cristina Irimie, 53; and Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14.
"If I could take the place of Mason and Christian, I would without a second thought," Marcee Gray wrote in the letter, later adding her "heart breaks for the 2 teachers who gave their lives while in the service of teaching and protecting our children."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLE INTEREST IN SANDY HOOK, PARKLAND MASSACRES
The suspected shooter was identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student. (The Barrow County Sheriff's Office)
Marcee Gray called the school counselor on the morning of Sept. 4, 2024, the day of the shooting, to warn officials about a concerning message she’d received from her son, she said in an interview with ABC News published Tuesday.
She said the last message she’d received from her son was, "I’m sorry, Mom," and that his father had received similar texts – "I’m sorry" and "You’re not to blame for this."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marcee Gray has a lengthy criminal record, which includes drug use and property damage, according to police and court records.
Marcee Gray in a 2023 booking photo from the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office. (Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office)
"We are all in a living nightmare right now, and I will personally never forgive myself for what has happened," she wrote in the new letter, "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."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She could not immediately be reached for comment.
Students embrace near a makeshift memorial at Apalachee High School on Thursday, Sept. 5, in Winder, Georgia. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder and more charges are expected.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The teenage suspect's father, Colin Gray, 54, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children.