GA - Apalachee High School shooting, 4 dead, 9 injured, Winder, Barrow County - 04 September 2024 *father and son arrested*

[Baby baby Jane]

These young boys, men, are checking out for good. Some "electrical short" in their brains, somehow it's the happy school kids' fault, the ones who seem normal. <modsnip>

I'm out of here, they think. No going back. That's that. As bad as it can be. They seem to be so calm and compliant afterwards.

Previous others motive appeared to be suicide by cop …

 

[housewife]

I'm very interested in motive in this case. I'd love to know what prompted him to go in to that school and murder 4 people from what I can tell he didn't even know...and give up immediately upon confrontation with a resource officer, not going all out and dying, and truthfully, not killing more than 4.

This is my opinion, for now. He hated school. He didn't want to go. So, and this is purely speculation, based on countless hours of working with teenagers over 25 years. He may have chosen to kill as a way to avoid ever having to go back to school. This is my number one thought on the matter. Or, maybe even as an act of rage towards those family members, and/or employees of the school, in a sort of "I'll show you" kind of way. A final act of a power struggle, where he wins the battle, knowing he'll never have to return to that environment, a punishment of sorts, punishment of those who forced him to attend. I can hear it...you want me to go to school, I'll show you what happens when I go to school.

Once again, I hope some day, to hear what is said when he explains an answer to the question...."why'd you do it?"

But no one is asking why this kid hates school?
It looks like he has had more than one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). Which is the root of the problem. Divorce, parents with mental health and substance abuse, witnessing and experiencing domestic abuse and neglect all add up, they have been studying this for years. It's not a surprise this kid is not coping well. It was almost predicted. There are so many kids like him, he is not unique.

Just add access to a killing tool.

 

[Sundog]

I'm very interested in motive in this case. I'd love to know what prompted him to go in to that school and murder 4 people from what I can tell he didn't even know...and give up immediately upon confrontation with a resource officer, not going all out and dying, and truthfully, not killing more than 4.

Desperation, in my opinion.

Desperation for help, for affection, without the social and psychological resources to know how to secure it. It was likely a long, lonely, meaningless summer.

 

[Inthedetails]

But no one is asking why this kid hates school?
It looks like he has had more than one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). Which is the root of the problem. Divorce, parents with mental health and substance abuse, witnessing and experiencing domestic abuse and neglect all add up, they have been studying this for years. It's not a surprise this kid is not coping well. It was almost predicted. There are so many kids like him, he is not unique.

Just add access to a killing tool.

Exactly!

So hand a troubled teen a gun and force him into school....and he's going to be assigned Jane Eyre in English class and turn his life around??

We can't keep doing what we're doing and expect different results. But sure, let's add another metal detector at the door.

jmo

 

[housewife]

I totally agree that he didn't want to be in school. Perhaps we need to face the fact that forcing a troubled teenager upon teachers, staff, and fellow students doesn't help anyone and doesn't work.

jmopinion

I agree that kids will struggle in school when they come from a home that sets them up for failure.
All the school can do is mitigate the end result of the parents' failures. And try to keep kids from harm for a small portion of every day.

We can't keep kids from harm if killing tools are accessible to them. Full stop.

<modsnip - personal questions asked and answered on the thread will make the thread about the members instead of the victims>

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

I totally agree that he didn't want to be in school. Perhaps we need to face the fact that forcing a troubled teenager upon teachers, staff, and fellow students doesn't help anyone and doesn't work.

jmopinion

Are you suggesting he shouldn't be in school then? There are a lot of troubled kids in school and most don't turn out to be killers. IMO, keeping them out won't really do anything, except maybe exacerbate things further.

MOO

 

[nao]

Are you suggesting he shouldn't be in school then? IMO, that won't really do anything, except maybe exacerbate things further.

Moo,..do they have alternative schools state side? I moved my son to an alternative school when he was about 13-14. He just didn't fit well with regular high school as in he rarely went, was bored, had conflict with maths teacher, but my son would show up for tests which he always passed easily. The alternative schools were small maybe 20-30 students, high teacher to student ratio. Very much personalized for student. Students work at their own pace. It allowed my son to school part time and also have a day job. The alternative schools are unfortunately seen as a place for bad kids which is not true.....moo

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Moo,..do they have alternative schools state side? I moved my son to an alternative school when he was about 13-14. He just didn't fit well with regular high school as in he rarely went, was bored, had conflict with maths teacher, but my son would show up for tests which he always passed easily. The alternative schools were small maybe 20-30 students, high teacher to student ratio. Very much personalized for student. Students work at their own pace. It allowed my son to school part time and also have a day job. The alternative schools are unfortunately seen as a place for bad kids which is not true.....moo

They do, but I don't know what the criteria for the switch is. I will say, when I was in school some 20 years ago, the kids in the alternative school near me were the ones coming out of juvenile hall or those on probation. I only know this because my ex was sent to one after a drug bust and the classmates were all in similar trouble. Can't speak for other alternative schools.

MOO.

 

[vls12345]

Apalachee High School students, staff returning to pick up their belongings

GEMA is also setting up a community recovery center for free resources and mental health services.

www.wsbtv.com

"Apalachee High School students and staff are allowed to pick up their belongings days after four people were killed in a shooting."

and

"Barrow County Schools will return to class on Tuesday. It’s unclear when classes at Apalachee High School will resume."

 

[vls12345]

Celebration of life ceremony held for coach killed in Apalachee school shooting

“He laid down his life protecting others,” said Rev. Matt Lewis.

www.wsbtv.com

 

[vls12345]

Community recovery center opening today in Barrow County after Apalachee High shooting

The center is being opened by the county and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.

www.11alive.com

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1833192230074429651

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1833150871225434449

 

[tlcya]

Charlie Polhamus, 81, the former world champion pole vaulter, blames the 14-year-old's father Colin Gray, 54, for the teenager's September 4 killing spree, calling him a 'narcissist' who got into 'physical altercations' with Colt.
[snip]
'He's a full-fledged narcissist and he finally getting what he deserves', Polhamus told DailyMail.com.
[snip]
'I made a comment that there were holes in the doors and walls, and she said it was Colt.

'As we left Colt came out of the door and started walking down the steps, so I turned to go back to see him, but he said to me: 'I'll *advertiser censored** you up.'

'My daughter and my wife told me to leave it, and again it just shows the environment that he is in. Marcee said he was just showing off.
[snip]
'Colt is a good kid. Both Colt and Marcee would be fine people today if it weren't for Colin Gray. You walk into a barn, you come out with s*** all over you.

Georgia 'shooter' was 'punching walls' weeks earlier, grandfather says

Charlie Polhamus, 81, told DailyMail.com grandson Colt Gray, 14, was 'punching holes in doors' and threatened to '*advertiser censored** him up' two weeks before opening fire on students and teachers.

www.dailymail.co.uk

in addition, the grandfather claims that there are lots of guns in the house that are in open view and not secured, that Colin Gray went to a rehab facility to "visit" Colt's mother and then proceeded to check her out and bring her back to their home. Finally, grandfather says that Colin Gray has a prescription pain pill addiction and those pills were purchased on the street because doctors would no longer prescribe them for him. I suspected this and believe that in part is what caused much of the rocking self soothing behavior Colin exhibited in the court room. MOO is that BOTH parents are addicts and neither should have had custody of their children.

 

[arielilane]

WINDER, Ga. —
“I’m sorry, mom.”

Those were the words Colt Gray texted his mother Wednesday morning before the deadliest school shooting in the United States so far this year erupted at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

...

Text, call, then gunfire: New details raise questions about efforts to prevent Georgia shooting

"I’m sorry, mom." Those were the words the suspect texted his mother shortly before the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

www.wlwt.com

Updated: 3:28 PM EDT Sep 9, 2024

 

[GoBuckeyes]

She knew there were guns in the house. She also applauded his use of the AR-15 when he shot his first deer. The maternal side of the family mentioned concern for mental state and gun acess in many media accounts.

What I'm saying is that the father was able to convince LE that all guns were used only under his supervision, for hunting. He specifically references Colt and deer hunting. I wonder if he was able to successfully convince the mother, too, that the guns were secured, used only for hunting, and only under his supervision? She may have been concerned that the father wasn't being truthful, but CMIIWP, to make a complaint to CPS, she'd need more than concerns??

 

[texaslb218]

Moo,..do they have alternative schools state side? I moved my son to an alternative school when he was about 13-14. He just didn't fit well with regular high school as in he rarely went, was bored, had conflict with maths teacher, but my son would show up for tests which he always passed easily. The alternative schools were small maybe 20-30 students, high teacher to student ratio. Very much personalized for student. Students work at their own pace. It allowed my son to school part time and also have a day job. The alternative schools are unfortunately seen as a place for bad kids which is not true.....moo

20 years of my admin life----alternative school. Wonderful experience and great outcomes. Will not derail this thread any further.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Charlie Polhamus, 81, the former world champion pole vaulter, blames the 14-year-old's father Colin Gray, 54, for the teenager's September 4 killing spree, calling him a 'narcissist' who got into 'physical altercations' with Colt.
[snip]
'He's a full-fledged narcissist and he finally getting what he deserves', Polhamus told DailyMail.com.
[snip]
'I made a comment that there were holes in the doors and walls, and she said it was Colt.

'As we left Colt came out of the door and started walking down the steps, so I turned to go back to see him, but he said to me: 'I'll *advertiser censored** you up.'

'My daughter and my wife told me to leave it, and again it just shows the environment that he is in. Marcee said he was just showing off.
[snip]
'Colt is a good kid. Both Colt and Marcee would be fine people today if it weren't for Colin Gray. You walk into a barn, you come out with s*** all over you.

Georgia 'shooter' was 'punching walls' weeks earlier, grandfather says

Charlie Polhamus, 81, told DailyMail.com grandson Colt Gray, 14, was 'punching holes in doors' and threatened to '*advertiser censored** him up' two weeks before opening fire on students and teachers.

www.dailymail.co.uk

in addition, the grandfather claims that there are lots of guns in the house that are in open view and not secured, that Colin Gray went to a rehab facility to "visit" Colt's mother and then proceeded to check her out and bring her back to their home. Finally, grandfather says that Colin Gray has a prescription pain pill addiction and those pills were purchased on the street because doctors would no longer prescribe them for him. I suspected this and believe that in part is what caused much of the rocking self soothing behavior Colin exhibited in the court room. MOO is that BOTH parents are addicts and neither should have had custody of their children.

It sounds like the maternal grandparents are upstanding citizens and tried to intervene where the law and the dad would allow. I agree, both parents had issues. Seems like pretty extreme ones, and they both did irreparable harm to their son. The above account sounds like the grandparents would have done more, but Colt was way too out of control, punching holes in walls, and threatening the grandfather. I wonder where our country would be if we could restore sound minds to addicts and provide at least one capable, dedicated parent or guardian for each child?? (Of course, I have no clue how to accomplish either. But sometimes I just step back and wonder.)

 

[kaen]

What I'm saying is that the father was able to convince LE that all guns were used only under his supervision, for hunting. He specifically references Colt and deer hunting. I wonder if he was able to successfully convince the mother, too, that the guns were secured, used only for hunting, and only under his supervision? She may have been concerned that the father wasn't being truthful, but CMIIWP, to make a complaint to CPS, she'd need more than concerns??

In the new article in the DM, the grandfather stated this:

Speaking to DailyMail.com he said: 'We had her in rehab, and two weeks ago he went up there for a family weekend and took her back up to Winder with the kids.

'She wasn't supposed to be there (in Winder). She was in that house with him and Colt, and we went to get her.

'I made a comment that there were holes in the doors and walls, and she said it was Colt.

'As we left Colt came out of the door and started walking down the steps, so I turned to go back to see him, but he said to me: 'I'll *advertiser censored** you up.'

'My daughter and my wife told me to leave it, and again it just shows the environment that he is in. Marcee said he was just showing off.
Georgia 'shooter' was 'punching walls' weeks earlier, grandfather says

Seems like everyone knew he was out of control AND that the guns were not locked up. Failure all the way around.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Desperation, in my opinion.

Desperation for help, for affection, without the social and psychological resources to know how to secure it. It was likely a long, lonely, meaningless summer.

Seems like maybe it was a long, lonely, desperate 14 years.