Colin: On September 4, 2024, a mass shooting occurred at Apalachee High School near Winder, Georgia, United States.

[8] All Georgia schools are legally required to complete at least one active shooter drill by October 1, each academic year.

[11] A few weeks before the shooting, a group of Georgia lawmakers attempted to pass firearm safety legislation, offering a $300 tax credit to gun owners who purchase safes.

[13] Classroom doors at the school lock automatically once shut and require opening from inside if the person entering does not have a key.

[15] On the morning of the shooting, Gray asked in his first-period class how Apalachee High would respond to an active shooter.

After leaving, Gray allegedly entered a stall inside a student restroom in J Hall before exiting wearing yellow plastic gloves and carrying his backpack with a rolled-up white poster board containing his gun wrapped around his lower torso.

[13][18] Shortly after the shots were fired, multiple staff members pushed the panic buttons on their IDs from the newly installed Centegix system, which triggered a lockdown and alerted authorities, including three school resource officers, about the shooting.

[20] One student stated that their teacher attempted to investigate the noises before being directed to lock the door, following reports of an active shooter.

[9] The Georgia Bureau of Investigation director said that the sheriff's office received calls of an active shooter at the school at around 10:20 a.m. local time, with responders arriving within minutes.

[16] At the same time, Colin Gray acknowledged that he owned hunting guns, but told investigators that his son did not have "unfettered access" to them.

[16] In a statement issued after the September 2024 shooting, the FBI said, "At the time, there was no probable cause for an arrest or to take any additional law enforcement action on the local, state or federal levels.

"[37] The Discord account's activity was traced to locations in Fort Valley and Statesboro, Georgia, and possibly Buffalo, New York.

After investigating, local authorities reported that the claim connecting the Discord account to either Colin or Colt Gray could not be substantiated.

[36] According to The Washington Post, for the three years before the shooting, Gray and his family interacted with multiple Georgia child welfare workers, four school systems, three county sheriff's departments, and two local police agencies, with many of them ignoring or not responding to reported child abuse Gray was allegedly experiencing at the hands of his parents.

Gray's mother was arrested after being found by local police officers in a Walmart parking lot on Atlanta Highway Northwest in Winder, with her car covered in what she would describe as suicide notes, and wishes to see two of her children, but not Colt.

She was sentenced to time served at the Barrow County Jail in December of that year for a family violence offense, while remaining in custody on a false imprisonment charge that, as of October 2024, was still pending.

[16] Gray often refused to attend classes; when he did, he would have panic attacks, and would tell his grandmother that he was convinced his teachers were talking about him.

[4] On September 6, Winder, Georgia hosted a memorial for the victims of the shooting with multiple politicians and about 1,000 people in attendance.

[41] A memorial was created outside the school with students, their parents and members of the community leaving items such as flowers, balloons and notes.

On February 4, 2025, Apalachee High School students protested at the Georgia State Capitol in support of a law which would establish penalties for storing firearms in a way easily accessible to minors.

[47] The White House issued a statement confirming that President Joe Biden was briefed by Liz Sherwood-Randall, the Homeland Security Advisor, on the shooting and that his administration will continue coordinating with federal, state, and local officials as they receive more information.

[21] Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp tweeted his condolences and asked for all Georgians to join in praying for the safety of students in classrooms.

Andre Dickens, the mayor of Atlanta, offered his thoughts and prayers to those affected as well as support to responding law enforcement.

[21] Georgia U.S. Representative Mike Collins, whose congressional district includes the school, issued a statement offering prayers for the victims and their families.

[49] Marjorie Taylor Greene, another U.S. Representative from Georgia, also issued a statement on X offering support to the victims and families.