Mother of Georgia high school shooting suspect defends her son in message to victims’ families

The mother of the 14-year-old suspected of shooting up a Winder, Georgia, high school that killed 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 truly sorry from the bottom of my heart,” Marcee Gray, 43, Colt Gray’s mother, wrote in the letter she provided to CNN.

Just a week ago, Gray allegedly opened fire at the school, killing two students and two teachers. Seven other victims were shot and wounded and two others suffered other injuries, police said.

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The victims were identified as Richard Aspinwall, 39, Cristina Irimie, 53, and Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14.

“If I could take Mason and Christian’s place, I would do so in a heartbeat,” Marcee Gray wrote in the letter, later adding that her “heart breaks for the two teachers who gave their lives in service of teaching and protecting our children.”

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Marcee Gray called the school counselor on the morning of Sept. 4, 2024, the day of the shooting, to alert authorities about a disturbing message she had received from her son, she said in an interview with ABC News published Tuesday.

She said the last message she received from her son was: “I’m sorry, mom,” and that her father received similar texts: “I’m sorry” and “You’re not to blame for this.”

Marcee Gray has a lengthy criminal record, which includes drug use and property damage, according to police and court records.

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“We are all living a nightmare right now, and I will never forgive myself for what happened,” she wrote in the new letter. “My son Colt is not a monster. He is my oldest child. He is calm, caring, thoughtful, funny, and extremely intelligent. Please pray for him and the rest of our family, as I pray for all of you every moment of every day.”

She could not immediately be reached for comment.

Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of murder, with more charges expected.

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The father of the teenage suspect, Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of child cruelty.