School Shooting Suspect's Mom Releases Open Letter

Marcee Gray apologizes to victims' families, says her son is 'not a monster'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 11, 2024 12:57 PM CDT
Alleged School Shooter's Mom Says He's 'Not a Monster'
Flowers are displayed at a memorial outside Apalachee High School, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Winder, Georgia.   (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

The mother of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old boy accused of killing four people in a Georgia school shooting last week, says her "heart breaks" for the victims—but her son is "not a monster." In an open letter provided to CNN, Marcee Gray apologized to the victims' families. "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," she wrote. Students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, were killed in the shooting last Wednesday. "If I could take the place of Mason and Christian, I would without a second thought," Gray wrote.

"As a parent, I've always said that the loss of one of my children would be the only thing that I wouldn't be able to come back from," Gray wrote. "I feel all of your pain and devastation. I grieve and cry with you." Teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, were also killed. Gray said her "heart breaks for the 2 teachers who gave their lives while in the service of teaching and protecting our children."

  • "We are all in a living nightmare right now, and I will personally never forgive myself for what has happened," she wrote. "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."

  • The teen and his father, Colin Gray, are both being held without bail. Colt Gray has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and his father faces charges including second-degree murder for allegedly allowing him to have the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack. Marcee Gray is separated from Colin Gray and lives around three hours away. She said she called the school to warn them of an "extreme emergency" minutes before the shooting.
  • On Tuesday, Marcee Gray told ABC News that she was "petrified" when she learned that her son had sent his father texts saying, "I'm sorry," and "You're not to blame for this." She said she called the school and then received a text herself that read, "I'm sorry Mom." She said that when she heard about the shooting, she "fell to the ground and just started screaming."
  • Investigators reportedly believe that Colt Gray was given the rifle as a Christmas present. "I knew that my husband had numerous guns, but I didn't know that one was a specific Christmas present," Marcee Gray told ABC News. "It wasn't until after the shooting that I knew it was specifically Colt's gun," she said. "I was shocked."
  • The mother said that if she could talk to her son, she would tell him, "I love him," and, "It's not your fault." ABC News notes that she "did not say who she places the blame on."
(More Georgia school shooting stories.)

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