Authorities were in the process of searching for the Georgia school shooting suspect after receiving an alert from his mother on the morning of the attack.

 

On the morning of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which resulted in four fatalities, authorities were actively searching for the suspect, 14-year-old Colt Gray, following a warning call from his mother. However, due to a mix-up, they were unable to locate him in time, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.

Before the incident, Colt Gray sent an alarming, cryptic text to his mother, Marcee Gray, reading, “I’m sorry, mom.” Concerned, Marcee alerted the school to check on her son. At that point, authorities began their search for Colt Gray, as Sheriff Smith informed CNN affiliate WXIA.

The sheriff explained, “She spoke to someone at the school, and we were actively searching for him. I’m not aware of her saying he would do this or had planned it, but there were some concerning messages exchanged.”

A school resource officer was sent to locate Colt, but due to a confusing similarity in names, he mistakenly checked for another student with a name almost identical to Colt’s. Both students were absent from their classroom at the time. The officer inadvertently questioned the wrong student, resulting in a delay in locating Colt Gray. “As we were trying to sort things out, the shooting began,” Sheriff Smith said.

Authorities allege that Colt used an AR-15-style rifle in the attack, killing two teachers and two students, with nine others injured. The wounded—eight students and one teacher—are expected to recover.

Emergency recordings and dispatch logs released by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office depict the intense and chaotic response as the shooting unfolded. The attack on September 4 marked the 45th school shooting of 2024 and was the deadliest since the March 2023 shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville.

Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult. His father, Colin Gray, faces charges including two counts of second-degree murder and four counts of involuntary manslaughter, accused of allowing his son access to a weapon. CNN has reached out to Colin Gray’s attorneys for comment.

A 10-minute call from Marcee Gray to the school was made at 9:50 a.m. ET, shortly before Colt left his Algebra 1 class. A student reported that an administrator searching for Colt mistook another student for him. The first report of the shooting came from a “RapidSOS” device at 10:22 a.m. ET, and by 10:30 a.m., authorities had identified Colt as the suspect. The initial reports indicated that one person was dead, with three more fatalities confirmed shortly afterward.

A tearful 911 call from Colt’s aunt revealed her fears that he might be involved. “My mom just called me and said that Colt texted his mom that he was sorry, and they called the school and told the counselor to go get him immediately,” she told the operator, sharing her concern over the unfolding situation.

Concerned parents also called 911 during the crisis, expressing worry for their children’s safety. One parent informed dispatch that his daughter, a school psychologist, was hiding with a student in a trailer near the shooting, urging authorities to check on them.

This tragic event has left a profound impact on the community, with continued investigations and legal proceedings underway.