Alleged Georgia Shooter Colt Gray's Troubled Past Surfaces Amid Family's Legal Issues: Report

New information has emerged about accused school shooter Colt Gray, shedding light on a difficult upbringing in a family plagued by conflict between his parents.

“There was constant abuse,” stated Lauren Vickers, a former neighbor of Gray’s family in Jefferson, Georgia. “It’s very, very sad.”

Vickers explained that the family moved into her neighborhood in 2022, and “problems started immediately.”

“There were nights when the mother would lock him and his sister out of the house. They would be pounding on the back door, screaming ‘Mom! mom! mom!’ and crying. It was absolutely heartbreaking,” she recalled, as reported by the New York Post. Vickers noted that Colt Gray had two siblings and mentioned instances where the youngest child would be begging for food.

“No clean clothes, I’m not exaggerating,” Vickers added.

Charles Polhamus, the father of Colt Gray’s mother, Marcee, shared his perspective, describing Colt as “just a good kid” trapped in a toxic environment, according to CNN.

“His dad didn’t physically beat him, but the yelling and screaming were constant, and he treated my daughter the same way,” Polhamus said.

In 2022, Marcee Gray left her husband, Colin Gray, after nearly 14 years of marriage.

“Finally separated from my abusive husband of almost 14 years,” she posted on social media in December 2022.

“I packed up my babies and relocated to my hometown in south GA,” she wrote in a social media update in May, according to CNN. “We’re all doing well, and my kids are thriving.”

In October 2023, deputies from the Barrow County Sheriff's office conducted a welfare check after Marcee reported not hearing from her husband or children for two weeks. According to reports, Colin Gray presented deputies with a state document stating that a “safety plan was in place” allowing him to keep the children, while their mother was only permitted supervised visits.

The following month, Colin accused Marcee of vandalizing his truck by scratching the words “abuse” and “liar” into it.

Later in November, Marcee was arrested in Winder, Georgia, on an outstanding warrant. Police found methamphetamine, fentanyl, pain pills, and a glass pipe in her car. According to police reports, she admitted to vandalizing her husband’s vehicle.

Marcee later pleaded guilty to charges of property damage, “criminal trespass – family violence,” and using a license plate to conceal her identity. She served one month in jail and was sentenced to five months’ probation. At that time, she was also prohibited from directly contacting her husband.

Polhamus mentioned that his daughter lost custody of her children after failing a drug test.

A report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that Marcee Gray’s criminal history spans 17 years, involving charges of domestic violence, drug possession, property damage, and traffic violations, along with civil claims of fraud.