Topline

The mother of the 14-year-old student suspected of opening fire in a Georgia high school last week, killing four people and injuring nine others, apologized for her son’s actions in a new letter Wednesday, but insisted he is “not a monster,” CNN reported.

Key Facts

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Key Background

Colt Gray has been charged as an adult with four counts of felony murder related to a school shooting last Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Four people—two students and two teachers—were killed in the shooting, and the 14-year-old suspect was apprehended at the scene after surrendering to police. In the week since the shooting, information has come out about past threats of school shootings Gray had been accused of making, and at least one family member told The Washington Post he had struggled with mental health.

Tangent

Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The charges were filed after Colin Gray told officials he had bought his son the gun used in the shooting as a gift. The charges mark some of the most serious brought against a parent of a suspected school shooter, and come months after Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter after buying their son—who went on to kill four students at a Michigan high school in 2021—a gun as a gift despite warning signs about his mental health.

Further Reading

ForbesWhat We Know About The 14-Year-Old Apalachee High School Shooting SuspectBy Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesFather Of Georgia School Shooting Suspect Charged With MurderBy Antonio Pequeño IV
ForbesMichigan School Shooter Ethan Crumbley’s Parents Get 10 To 15 Years In PrisonBy Cailey Gleeson

ATLANTA – Three judges have recused themselves from the case concerning Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ attempt to block subpoenas requiring her to testify before a Georgia State Senate committee this week, according to court records.  

The subpoenas, issued by the State Senate Special Committee on Investigations, seek Willis’ testimony and documents related to her ongoing investigation into 2020 election interference and her relationship with Nathan Wade, a former special prosecutor. Willis filed for an injunction to halt the subpoenas, which demanded her appearance at a hearing on Friday. 

In a filing submitted on Sept. 4, Willis, represented by former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, argued that the subpoenas’ broad demands for documents would harm the prosecution’s case. She requested a permanent injunction to prevent enforcement of the subpoenas by the committee. 

Three Fulton County Superior Court judges have recused themselves from the case. Judges Craig Schwall, Sr. and Melynee Leftridge recused themselves last week, citing unspecified conflicts of interest. On Monday, Judge Scott McAfee also recused himself, noting his involvement in overseeing the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others. 

McAfee, in his recusal order, wrote that given the overlap with the Georgia election interference case against Trump and others, his impartiality “might reasonably be questioned.” He directed the Fulton County Clerk of Court to randomly assign the matter to another judge. 

As of Tuesday, it remained unclear whether a new judge would be assigned in time to hear the case before Friday’s Senate hearing. It was also uncertain whether Willis would comply with the subpoenas if an injunction was not issued.