Georgia shooting suspect’s troubled past and broken home; ‘constant abuse’ attracted police visits, says ex-neighbour

Authorities are already trying their best to narrow down a motive for the rampage. So far, nothing of the sort has been released to the public. With the teen suspect’s mugshot and 2022 yearbook photo already available to the public and his life history under the microscope, it’s also being reported that he grew up in a broken home.

Florida resident Annie Polhamus Brown, who claimed to be Gray’s aunt, pushed a slew of Facebook posts shortly after the Wednesday massacre, defending her nephew and painting him as a sufferer of mental health issues. Without detailing or specifying the extent of these struggles, Brown told The Washington Post on Thursday that Gray had been “begging for help from everybody around him,” but “the adults around him failed him.”

Former neighbour speaks of constant instances of abuse endured by Colt Gray and his siblings

Adding to that narrative around Colt Gray’s life story, a former neighbour told the New York Post that there were “problems immediately” when the Gray family, with three children, moved into the Jefferson, Georgia, neighbourhood 60 miles east of Atlanta two years ago.

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Recent reports have already established that the alleged AR-15-style weapon used in the Apalachee High School tragedy was purchased by Colt’s father, Colin Gray, as a Christmas gift in December 2023.

Grays’ old next-door neighbour Lauren Vickers additionally told the US outlet that Colt’s mother, Marcee, would sometimes lock him and his sister out of the house at night. “They would be banging on the back door, just screaming like ‘Mom! Mom! Mom!’ and crying. It was absolutely devastating,” she said.

Vickers described their situation as “constant abuse”, as one of the kids would, at times, come to her backyard asking for food. “No clean clothes, I’m not exaggerating,” she added. Grays’ former neighbour also claimed that Marcee regularly consumed drugs and alcohol. As a result, she would “find her in the driveway, passed out, with the car running and blaring music early in the morning.”

As for her description of Colt, Vickers said, “he wasn’t a bully or a mean kid. He didn’t say much. He was so quiet.” Colt used to be a classmate of her daughter, Berlin. However, she often saw him skipping school to wander around the woods and in unbuilt houses nearby. The woman rang up child services several times, but after visiting the place and talking to her, they “did nothing.”

Former landlord also reported Colt Gray’s mother to child services

An anonymously cited former landlord of the Grays also described Marcee as “a f**k up.” On the other hand, he called Colin Gray as “trying his best to be a stand-up guy.” The man once spoke to Colt’s father about the kids being locked out in “freezing weather” by their mother. He, in turn, revealed that Marcee had been battling drug and alcohol addiction, implying they were eyeing divorce.

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Addressing the recent shooting, the former landlord highlighted that there was no way to predict this. “All I can say is this child has fallen between the cracks of getting the help from the social network that we should have in place to help these children.”

Like Vickers, this man also reported Colt’s mother to the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services.

Georgia school shooting suspect’s maternal grandfather blames his father

Gray’s maternal grandfather, Charles Polhamus, similarly told CNN on Thursday that the teen boy was “just a good kid” who “lived in an environment that was hostile.” Explaining the type of alleged abuse prevalent in the Gray household, Polhamus claimed, “His dad beat up on him.” However, this beating wasn’t necessarily of a physical nature – “screaming and hollering.” Gray’s grandfather alleged that his father, Colin, “did the same thing to my daughter.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution has additionally divulged that Colt’s mother, Marcee, a Georgia Southern University graduate, has a criminal history that dates back 17 years, spanning four Georgia counties. Her long red-marked record mentions charges for domestic violence, drug possession, property damage, and traffic violations like driving under the influence. As of April, she was even in custody in Ben Hill County and faced civil fraud charges, according to The Post.

Responding to an FBI report of yesteryear school shooting threats posted on social media, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office paid the Grays a visit in Jefferson. Although the investigation was shelved, officers urged Colin Gray to lock up the family’s several hunting rifles in the house until the matter could be resolved. Despite this May 2023 police visit, Colt Gray’s father purchased the AR-style rifle at the centre of the latest investigation for him in December.