The father of the accused Georgia high school shooter abandoned the family's dogs and wedding photos when they were evicted but later returned and "kicked in the door" to retrieve his guns, according to a bewildered former landlord.
Colin and Marcee Gray were described as troublesome tenants before falling too far behind on rent and being evicted in 2020, the estranged couple's former landlord told the Independent. The couple was ordered to leave their home along with their three children, including Colt Gray, now 14 and the suspected Apalachee High School shooter. Gray opened fire inside his school and killed four people, including two teachers on Wednesday, before being arrested.
Problematic Family With Checkered Past
The landlord, who chose to remain anonymous, told the outlet that the Grays were slow to vacate the rental property and left behind their two German Shepherds along with several irreplaceable keepsakes.
"I imagine the next place where they were renting didn't allow dogs, so they just left them," the landlord said, claiming that the Grays ignored his attempts at reuniting them with their dogs.
The surprised landlord said that he found a variety of other belongings left behind in the house, including a golf bag, an archery set, various tools, and their wedding photos.
"They left their wedding photos," he added. "My wife tried to contact (Marcee) to say, 'Hey, do you want these? Like, you can have them.' And she never responded. So we ended up having to throw away their wedding pictures."
Colin only returned to the house after the locks had been changed to retrieve the firearms he had left behind.
The 54-year-old father reportedly "kicked in the door to get his guns."
Police advised the couple not to press charges, citing the minimal damage and noting that Gray had "reclaimed" his own property, he told the Independent.
The landlord said that he had forgotten about the family until earlier this week when he saw their names in the news. "And then it all came rushing back," the stunned landlord said.
Murderer Son, Maniac Parents
This came as it was revealed that the mother of Colt Gray had threatened to kill her estranged husband less than a year before their son shot and killed four people at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
Marcee Gray, 43, has a criminal history that stretches back more than 17 years, with court records showing she was in jail as recently as April.
The former quality engineer was arrested in Barrow County in November on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and muscle relaxants. She was also charged with aggravated battery, theft by taking, criminal trespass, false imprisonment, and failure to appear in January in Fitzgerald County, the Daily Mail reported.
Sources told the Daily Mail that the mother of three had "threatened to kill her husband" during one of these incidents. She also allegedly "tied up" her elderly mother and left her for 24 hours.
The exact reason that led of Marcee Gray's spiral is unclear, but she had previously shared online about "what substance abuse can do" to a family.
Over the years, she had made several disturbing Facebook posts, detailing her struggles with her estranged husband, Colin Gray, whom she accused of abuse, the outlet reported.
Colt is accused of killing four people during his shooting spree at Apalachee High School on Wednesday. The victims included students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, as well as math teachers Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
In court on Friday, Gray, who will be tried as an adult, was told that he could face life in prison.
The day following the shooting, Colin, 54, was arrested and charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of child cruelty.
The charges were brought to light after it was revealed that Colin had bought the AR-15-style rifle that Colt is accused of using in the shooting as a Christmas gift last December.
"These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon," GBI Director Chris Hosey told reporters at a press conference, without providing any additional details.
Colt received the lethal gift from his father just seven months after authorities had visited them in response to FBI tips about online threats of a school shooting.
"It's just so sad," the former landlord said. "The more I'm reading these articles that are coming out, I'm like, 'Oh my God, these kids didn't have a freaking chance, man.' Like, these parents just totally f–ked them, you know?"
Lauren Vickers, who lived next door to the Grays in Jefferson, Georgia, said that there were "problems immediately" when the Grays and their three children moved into the well-kept neighborhood 60 miles east of Atlanta in 2022.
