The mother of the 14-year-old suspect in a deadly shooting at a Georgia high school was arrested last year on family violence charges, revealing a turbulent home life for the teen accused of killing four people. His father also faces charges for allowing his son to possess a weapon, an AR-15-style rifle. The shooting suspect is accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School, where he was a new student. He had shown interest in prior mass shootings like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The shooting suspect’s father revealed in interviews that his son had struggled after his parents separated and his family was evicted from their home, causing him to be separated from his siblings. The teen was experiencing challenges at home and school, but his father did not express concerns about him carrying out a massacre. The father said his son denied making online threats of a school shooting. The suspect had been ridiculed and physically harassed at his previous middle school, leading to frustrations for both the father and son.
The father mentioned that he had weapons at home that were accessible to his son, but not loaded. He expressed anger at the idea of his son making online threats and said he would have taken all the guns away if he found out about them. He introduced his son to bow hunting and firearms, with the boy shooting his first deer in 2023. The mother of the suspect, Marcee Gray, had restrictions placed on her after the family violence charges, including no contact with the father except through a third party.
The suspected shooter had been a victim of bullying at his previous school, leading to his desire to change school districts. His father attempted to intervene with school administrators, but the conflict escalated. The teen struggled to focus on his finals and expressed a desire to move schools. His father expressed concern about the physical harassment his son was enduring and said he wanted to protect him from further harm. Despite these struggles, the father did not foresee his son carrying out a violent act.
The shooting at Apalachee High School resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers, causing widespread shock and grief. The suspect’s father faces multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children, with the possibility of up to 180 years in prison if convicted on all counts. The mother, Marcee Gray, faced her own legal troubles with family violence charges and drug-related incidents. The family dynamics and challenges at home faced by the suspect shed light on a troubled background that may have contributed to his actions.
