Colt Gray’s mother has written a letter to the families of those killed in the Apalachee High School shooting as fundraisers continue to grow for the victims.
Teenager Gray allegedly opened fire on the school in Georgia’s Barrow County last Wednesday, killing two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, as well as teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.
His mother Marcee Gray has written a letter to their families, saying she is “sorry from the bottom of [her] heart” and insisting that Colt Gray, also 14, “is not a monster.”
“To the parents and families of those affected by the tragic events at Apalachee High School, I want to say that I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote in the letter.
She said: “If I could take the place of Mason and Christian, I would without a second thought. As a parent, I’ve always said that the loss of one of my children would be the only thing that I wouldn’t be able to come back from. I feel all of your pain and devastation. I grieve and cry with you.”
Marcee Gray added that her “heart breaks for the two teachers who gave their lives while in the service of teaching and protecting our children.”
She went on: “We are all in a living nightmare right now, and I will personally never forgive myself for what has happened.
“My son Colt is not a monster. He is my oldest baby. He is quiet, thoughtful, caring, funny, and extremely intelligent. Please pray for him and the rest of our family, as I am praying for all of you every moment of every day.”
A poster with images of shooting victims from left, Cristina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn, Richard Aspinwall and Christian Angulo is displayed at a memorial outside Apalachee High School. The mother of suspect Colt Gray has written a letter to victims’ families.
AP
Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult. His father, Colin Gray, has been accused of knowingly allowing Colt Gray to access an AR-15-style rifle. He has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
The news comes as people continue to donate to multiple fundraisers for the victims’ families, with the total nearing $500,000.
While students at Apalachee High School are yet to return to class, many students in Barrow County headed back to school on Tuesday.
Mother Shonderi Williams told The Associated Press how hearing that her eight-year-old daughter was scared to go back to school caused her to break down in her bathroom.
“I’m trying to teach them, I’m here for you. I’m your protector. There’s nobody that’s going to hurt you,” she said, “I can’t be around them 24/7, so I know that’s a lie that I told my child. But I have to go and be that strong parent for them.”
