Father of Georgia School Shooter Told Police in Newly Released 2023 Audio That ‘Greatest Day’ Was When Son Killed 1st Deer

Colin Gray, the father of suspected Georgia school shooter Colt Gray, previously expressed pride in his teenage son’s hunting while speaking with authorities who were investigating alleged threats the boy made to commit a school shooting in 2023.

Now the son, 14, has been charged with four counts of felony murder in connection with the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., that claimed the lives of four people. Colin, 54, was also arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. 

In May 2023, the son was interviewed by law enforcement about alleged threats he made to commit a school shooting, the FBI’s Atlanta Division previously said.

“The father stated he had hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unsupervised access to them. The subject denied making the threats online,” the FBI said.

While speaking to investigators, Colin allegedly said he had been teaching his son about guns and hunting in an effort to have him spend time outdoors and play fewer video games, The New York Times reported, citing a newly-released audio transcript. 

Per the transcript, also obtained by PBS, Colin described a photo of Colin after “shooting his first deer” and said it was “the greatest day ever.” 

According to records cited by The New York Times, Colin owned multiple weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle.

When asked by an investigator if the guns are accessible, Colin allegedly said, “They are … I mean there’s nothing loaded, but they are … we do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer hunting,” per the audio obtained by Fox News. Colin also allegedly said, “I’m going to be mad as hell if he did,” in response to his son’s alleged threat, and promised to take away all access to the “guns,” the outlet reported.

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According to the FBI, there was no probable cause for an arrest or any further law enforcement action, but local schools were notified for “continued monitoring of the subject.”

The Sept. 4 attack killed two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Nine others were hospitalized with injuries and are expected to make a “full recovery,” authorities previously said.

Colin and the shooting suspect, who will be tried as an adult, appeared in court for the first time on Friday, Sept. 6. 

A judge ruled the shooting suspect will not face the death penalty since he is under 18, CNN reported, adding that his preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 4. As for Colin, the judge said he could face up to 180 years in prison if convicted on all counts, per the outlet.