A former landlord of Colt Gray’s parents, accused of shooting at a Georgia school, has portrayed the family as cold-hearted and callous.
The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described how Colin, 54, and Marcee Gray, 43, were allegedly chaotic tenants to deal with and eventually got them evicted.
Even more shocking, she said, when the now-estranged couple fell behind on rent and were forced to leave their rental home in 2020, they decided to leave their pets behind, returning only to retrieve their guns and allegedly breaking down the front door while doing so.
“The craziest thing of all is that they left their two German shepherds behind,” the owner said. The Independent.
‘I guess the next place they rented didn’t allow dogs, so they just left them.’
The owner explained that even when he tried to contact the couple to reunite them with their pets, they were not interested and ignored his calls.
Colt Gray, the former landlord of the parents of the accused Georgia school shooter, has portrayed the family as cold-hearted and unfeeling. The father, Colin Gray, 54, is due in court on Friday.
The couple suddenly became the center of attention after the alleged actions of their 14-year-old son, Colt, who is accused of shooting four people to death and wounding nine others at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
Details of previous arrests have since emerged and earlier this week charges were filed against the father for allegedly giving his son the gun used in the shooting.
Concern about their guns aside, it appears the couple was as carefree about their pets as they were about their possessions.
Colin’s ex-wife Marcee, 43, has a criminal record including drug abuse, domestic violence and property damage, but is not facing any charges in connection with the shooting.
“They left their wedding photos behind. My wife tried to reach out to her to say, ‘Hey, do you want them? You can keep them.’ But she never responded. So we ended up having to throw away their wedding photos,” the owner explained.
Recalling her time with the couple, she says she had a “bad feeling” about them from the start.
At first it was little things, including Colin’s refusal to look him in the eye or even shake his hand.
Georgia school shooter Colt Gray made his first court appearance Friday
Gray has been charged with four felony counts of murder and will be tried as an adult.
The owner also noted that his then-wife, Marcee, had a long criminal record for drug possession and also appeared to be “very scared” of her husband.
It wasn’t long before the couple fell behind on their rent and the family, including their three children, was forced to vacate the rented home, leaving behind the family dogs and a host of other random items, including a golf bag, an archery set, and various tools.
The Grays, who owed thousands of dollars in unpaid rent, were quick to leave, and eventually the anonymous landlord was forced to change the locks so he could get the family out once and for all.
When the father, Colin Gray, returned to pick up something he did care about (his guns), he was forced to “kick down the door so he could get his guns.”
The owner reported the theft to the police, but was advised not to press criminal charges because he had only “stolen” his own belongings.
It was only when Colin and Marcee’s names hit the news headlines earlier this week that the homeowner recalled his disturbing encounters with the family and had “forgotten about them”.
Colin Gray (pictured left), 54, was charged with two counts of murder, four counts of manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Colin Gray, 54, appeared shortly after his son in the same courtroom.
“And then it all comes back, but in the same way, you’re like, ‘Well, damn, I mean, it was a really, really weird situation, so maybe it wasn’t as shocking as it seemed. ‘ We thought it was a bad situation, but shit, we were like, ‘Oh man, we were lucky that (that) was all we had to deal with. ‘”
Teenager Colt Gray appeared in court on Friday to face murder charges, while his father Colin refused to apply for bail and they were ordered to remain in custody.
Judge Currie Mingledorff read the charges and rights to the thin, blond-haired boy wearing a green shirt and khaki pants and shackles at his wrists and ankles.
Mingledorff told the boy that he faces four counts of felony murder that are not punishable by death because he is a minor. The maximum penalty would be life in prison without parole.
Gray is accused of shooting and killing two fellow students, also 14, and two teachers at his high school on Wednesday.
Gray’s father appeared before the same judge shortly afterward, dressed in a black-and-white striped prison uniform and rocking nervously back and forth on the defendant’s table.
He faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Earlier this year, the parents of another teenage school shooter were convicted of manslaughter, but Colin Gray is believed to be the first parent charged with murder in a shooting committed by their son.
His lawyer also refused to request bail and he will remain behind bars for the time being.
Relatives of some of the victims of Wednesday’s shooting were in the public gallery during brief court appearances for the two defendants.
Gray’s father bought the gun used in the shooting, an AR-15-style assault rifle, for his son as a gift last Christmas.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said the father had “knowingly” allowed his troubled son to possess a gun.
Meanwhile, mom Marcee Gray is said to be cooperating with investigators but has not been charged with any crime.
