Colt Gray, the 14-year-old shooter who killed two teachers and two fellow students at his Georgia high school, used Discord to express his desire to commit a school shooting, because of the lack of acceptance of transgender people.
CNN reported on Friday that Discord posts from 2023 showed that Gray was planning to attack an elementary school.
“I’m committing a mass shooting,” one of Gray’s posts read, according to CNN.
“I’m committing a mass shooting and I’m waiting a good two to three years, and I’m ready.”
Gray shared a photo of the gun he intended to use and also discussed his motivation, which, according to CNN, involved frustration at the acceptance of transgender people in society.
CNN’s initial reporting suggested that Gray was angry that transgender people weren’t being accepted in society, but this was later changed to claim that Gray was angry about transgender people being accepted.
Gray expressed a wish to commit suicide, but said he couldn’t do so until he had done something to “[contribute] to culture.”
“I cant kill myself yet, cause I’m not contributing anything to culture I need to go out knowing I did,” he wrote.
Police have also said they’ve discovered a journal in Gray’s bedroom in which he discusses past school shootings.
So far, speculation about the circumstances behind the shooting have focused on Gray’s “tumultuous home life,” including the possibility of domestic abuse by his father, who has been arrested in connection with the shooting, and bullying at school.
Daily Mail has obtained transcripts from Colt Gray's father's interview with law enforcement last year. The father reveals that his son, who is accused of carrying out a mass shooting this week at school, was bullied for being queer. https://t.co/9PDUDE0qUT pic.twitter.com/8YN1ykuNxP
— Andy Ngo 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 6, 2024
Colin Gray has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children for his part in the school shooting and, in particular, for buying his son the weapon that was used.
Colt Gray’s mother and maternal grandfather have accused Colin Gray of abusing his family for years.
“He was just a good kid, but he lived in an environment that was hostile,” Charles Polhamus said of his grandson, to CNN.
“His dad beat up on him, I mean, I’m not talking about physical, but screaming and hollering, and he did the same thing to my daughter.”
Colt Gray’s parents separated in 2022 and have lived apart since then.
Colt Gray was investigated by law-enforcement in 2023 in connection with a school-shooting threat. Investigators interviewed the boy and his father about posts on Discord.
Colin Gray told investigators that his son had access to hunting rifles in his house, and that he was bullied at school.
Transcripts reveal that Colin Gray said his son was “getting picked on at school.” Other students were “pinching him and touching him… just ridiculed him day after day after day.” Colin Gray also said that that he was “trying to teach [his son] about firearms and safety and how to do it all and get him… interested in the outdoors,” partly because his son spent too much time playing videogames.
“He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do and how to use them and not use them,” Colin Gray said.