‘My child is not a monster’: Mother of Georgia school shooting suspect expresses sorrow in letter
The mother of the teenager charged with a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school last week issued an apology to the victims’ families in an open letter.
In her letter, which was shared with CNN, Marcee Gray emphasizes that her 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, “is not a monster.”
Colt Gray faces four felony murder charges in connection with the deaths of math teachers Cristina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, as well as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
In the letter, she expressed, “To the parents and families of those impacted by the horrific events at Apalachee High School, I’m deeply sorry from the bottom of my heart. If I could switch places with Mason and Christian, I would do so without hesitation.”
Marcee Gray continued, stating that her “heart breaks for the two teachers who gave their lives dedicated to educating and safeguarding our children.”
In addition, eight other students and a teacher were injured during the tragic shooting that occurred on September 4, which shook the small town of Winder. According to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, Gray, who was armed with an “AR-platform style weapon,” began firing around 10:20 a.m., but was quickly confronted by responding deputies and surrendered without resistance.
Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, has been charged with permitting his son access to the semiautomatic rifle involved in the incident. He faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of child cruelty.
Marcee Gray mentioned that on the morning of the shooting, she informed the school counselor about an “extreme emergency” and requested that her son be located, as reported by the Washington Post. An administrator was sent to his classroom, but he was not present.
“We are all trapped in a nightmare right now, and I will never be able to forgive myself for what occurred,” Marcee Gray lamented. “My son Colt is not a monster. He is my first child. He is introspective, caring, humorous, and exceptionally intelligent. I ask for your prayers for him and our family, just as I am praying for all of you every single day.”
