Accused Georgia school shooter Colt Grays dad called him a sissy and bought the AR-15 allegedly used during his sons deadly rampage to toughen him up, relatives said.
Colin Gray purchased the weapon last Christmas and gave it to Gray, 14, who allegedly used it during the bloodbath at Apalachee High School.
DailyMail.com previously revealed how his dad had taken him on hunting trips in the 18 months prior to the shooting, which left four people dead.
Now it has emerged that the elder Gray, who has also been charged over the murders, frequently used derogatory slurs against his son.
He would call Colt names to his face, says a relative of Colts mother, Marcee, told the New York Post.
Accused Georgia school shooter Colt Gray s dad called him a sissy and bought the AR-15 allegedly used during his sons deadly rampage to toughen him up, relatives said
Names that no boy wants to hear: sissy, p***y, bitch… just names that were meant to break him down and emasculate him.
Colin always thought that Colt was too gentle and tender. That’s why I believe he gave him the rifle.
Four people lost their lives in the mass shooting on September 4: Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, Richard Aspinwall, 39 and Cristina Irimie, 53. A further nine people were injured.
The elder Gray, 54, admitted gifting his son the rifle despite the fact he had been previously interviewed by police over alleged threats his son made against the school.
The father and son had been on the FBIs radar for more than a year over the incident, but no arrests were made due to there being no probably cause at the time.
The father now faces two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children.
If convicted on all charges he could receive up to 180 years in jail.
Grays father told police his son wasn’t a loner, and was being picked on at school, with his peers saying he was gay, according to a report from Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department.
Colin Gray, 54, has also been charged in connection to the shooting which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers
Investigators say Gray, 14, used this AR-15 pictured to mow down four people at Apalachee High School
Gray was given the gun he allegedly used as Christmas present from his father
The report also details that Colt told his father ‘I’m a good boy Daddy, I would never do it’ and said, ‘I don’t want to be caught up in any of that’.
His father said it was ‘very difficult’ for him to go to school and ‘not get picked on’, and that he had been trying to get him onto a school team.
‘It went from one thing to another,’ Colin said. ‘He was talking to the couple of friends he had, and it was like “oh look Colts gay, hes dating that guy”.
‘Just ridiculed him day after day after day.’
Father and son both appeared at Barrow County Superior Court on Friday, in shackles and handcuffed at the front of their body.
Colt reportedly told police I did it when read his Miranda rights after his arrest on Wednesday.
The teen, dressed in a green t-shirt and grey sweatpants, kept his head down, with his hair covering his face, and spoke softly only to Judge Currie Mingledorff, replying ‘yes sir’ when asked to confirm his name.
Judge Mingledorff brought Gray back in to correct a statement he made, telling him: ‘I wanted to make it clear to you that the penalty does not include death. It includes life without the possibility of parole or with the possibility of parole.’
Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting
Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim
A 2005 Supreme Court decision forbids the execution of offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed.
Meanwhile his father, Colin, cried as he appeared shortly after his son in the same courtroom, rocking back and forth.
Colin Gray shuffled in wearing a prison-issued striped shirt and tracksuit, in shackles like his son. He stated his name in a croaky voice, confirming his age, and that he was able to read and write.