BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — The mom of the accused Apalachee High shooting suspect told family she called the school Wednesday morning before the shooting to warn of an emergency, according to a family member.
Annie Brown, Colt Gray's aunt, told 11Alive Marcee Gray called the school that day to warn about the possibility of an "extreme emergency."
The information was also published in a lengthy report Saturday by the Washington Post. The newspaper reported Marcee Gray texted Brown, who is her sister, that she told a school counselor her 14-year-old son needed to be found immediately.
Colt Gray is now facing murder charges after four people were killed and nine others were injured on that day, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The Post said it confirmed that a call log from the family's phone plan shows a 10-minute call was made from the mom's phone. Brown told 11Alive the call happened on Sept. 4 around 9:50 a.m.
The newspaper also said Marcee Gray contacted The Post after its initial story was published to also confirm the text messages and phone logs. She apologized, adding that she "cannot fathom the pain and suffering" of the families impacted by the tragedy.
The GBI said in an initial news release that preliminary information indicated Barrow County authorities received alerts about reports of an active shooter at about 10:20 a.m. at the school. Within minutes, the GBI said Colt Gray was arrested.
The teachers who died in the shooting were identified by the agency as Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie. Students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14 years old, also died in the gunfire.
The Post reported that a student said an administrator went to his math class looking for the teen that morning, but he was not in the room, adding that the administrator left with a bag that belonged to another student with a similar name.
The Washington Post indicated the Barrow County School System didn't answer questions about the family's claims and directed the newspaper to contact law enforcement.
While the investigation continues into what happened on the morning the tragic shooting, Colt Gray's father is also facing charges. Warrants indicate Colin Gray provided an AR-15-style weapon to his son despite “knowing he posed a danger to himself and others.”
Colin Gray is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The GBI said District Attorney Brad Smith mentioned this is the first time in Georgia history that the parent of a school shooting suspect has been charged in connection with the crime.