On Wednesday, police arrested and charged 14-year-old Colt Gray for allegedly killing four people and injuring nine others during a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia Wednesday afternoon.
The teen, who is currently in police custody, will be charged with murder and tried as an adult , authorities said. He is currently being held at Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.
He allegedly gunned down two students—Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo—and two math teachers—Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
Heres what we know about so far about the suspected shooter:
What was law enforcements relationship with Gray?
The FBI said on Twitter Gray had been on their radar for over a year before Wednesday's mass shooting after he posted threatening social media posts. In May of 2023 the bureau's National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats made to commit to a school shooting at an unspecified location and time, according to the FBI's Atlanta Office.
The threats contained photographs of guns and within 24 hours the FBI found the online posts originated in Georgia. The FBI's Atlanta Field Office referred the matter to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for further action.
A 13-year-old, later confirmed to be Gray, was interviewed alongside his father. Gray's father stated that he had hunting guns in the house but said his son did not have unsupervised access to them. Gray denied making the online threats and Jackson County alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the subject.
What did classmates think of Gray as the shooter?
Gray was a student at Apalachee High School. His classmates described him as a "pretty quiet" kid who gave "one-word answers" in class and often skipped lessons altogether. Lyela Sayarath, a junior at Apalachee High School, was seated next to the alleged shooter in their Algebra 1 class right before he decided to take a walk and get his gun .
The doors automatically lock when shut, and Gray was not allowed inside when he attempted to re-enter the classroom. “They almost let him in, but I’m pretty sure she saw that he had a gun and so she backed away,” Sayarath said. “And then he turned away and that’s when you hear like the first round of fire.”
She told CNN reporters that she wasn't surprised he was the shooter. "He never really talked. He wasn't there most times," she said. "Either he didn't just come to school or he would just skip class. Even when he would've talked it was just one word answers or short statements."
Did Gray surrender?
Prior to the shooting Apalachee High School received a chilling phone call warning it would be the first of five tragic targets. The school was reportedly told it would suffer at the hands of a twisted gunman and that four other schools were on their list.
Authorities did not confirm if Gray himself made the call but so far he has been named as the sole suspect in the shooting. Police responded to reports of an active shooter within minutes and Gray did not resist arrest, "immediately surrendering" when police surrounded him .
"The shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up, it would end with an OIS (officer-involved shooting)," "Barrow County sheriff Jud Smith said.
What was Gray's motive for the shooting?
Authorities say they still do not know Gray's motive for the shooting. It is not known whether the victims were targeted or Gray personally knew the victims. "I don't know why it happened and we may never know," Sheriff Smith said.
Gray carried out the gruesome attack with an AR-style weapon, the semi-automatic rifle of choice for most school shooters.
Family is defending "hurt" teen following shooting
While his parents have not spoken publicly yet about the shooting, some of Gray's relatives have come to his defense including his aunt Annie Polhamus Brown. His aunt published a series of posts on Facebook in which she declared she would "take care" of him and "what he needs on his side" while also supporting the families of the victims.
The post have now been deleted as well as her Facebook profile, but the screenshots remain online and have sparked serious backlash. "I will NOT disrespect other parents and families that are dealing with this tragedy on the opposite end," the teen's aunt wrote." They DID NOT DESERVE THIS!!!! I WILL NOT do anything but humbly support the families involved in this incident that did not ask to be participants!!!!
"With that said, I WILL NOT leave my nephew standing alone!!!! When Uvalde happened, I told my own children that 'only hurt people hurt people.'" She added: "Just check yourself before you speak about a child that never asked to deal with the bull---- he saw on a daily basis" she added.
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