Georgia high school shooting suspect and his dad make first court appearances
(WINDER, Ga.) — Colt Gray, the 14-year-old accused of opening fire at his Georgia high school, made his first court appearance on Friday, where the judge informed him of the charges against him and ordered him held without bond.
Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder for allegedly shooting and killing two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.
Another seven students and two teachers were injured. All of the injured victims are expected to make full recoveries, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said.
More charges against Gray are expected, the GBI said.
The 14-year-old will be tried as an adult, authorities said. His preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 4.
The teen’s father, Colin Gray, 54, was arrested Thursday and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI said.
Colin Gray is accused of “knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said Thursday.
Investigators believe that Gray received the AR-style gun used in the shooting as a Christmas present from his father, according to sources.
Colin Gray also made his first appearance on Friday, in the same courtroom as his son.
A motive has not yet been determined and it is unknown if the victims were targeted, investigators said.
Gray’s aunt, Annie Brown, said her nephew was “begging for help from everybody around him.”
(PHILADELPHIA) — A 43-year-old man on his way to evening prayers at a Philadelphia mosque Tuesday was shot multiple times and killed in what police called an “execution-type homicide.”
A suspect remains at large, police said. A motive is not yet known.
Police responded to reports of gunfire and a shooting on the 1500 block of Germantown Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. ET, authorities said.
The victim was found lying in the parking lot of the mosque suffering from multiple gunshot wounds — including several to his chest and torso and at least one to his head, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Police rushed the victim to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, he said.
The shooter, who was wearing dark-colored clothing, fled the parking lot and got into a vehicle, Small said.
Surveillance footage captured the shooting in the parking lot, Small said.
“You can clearly see our victim walking to this mosque for a prayer service. He was walking with another male. You see the shooter run up behind the victim, and from just a few feet away, begin firing shots,” Small said during a press briefing.
The shooter continued firing after the victim collapsed onto the parking lot, Small said.
“Our victim clearly appears to be the intended target,” he said.
The name of the victim has not been released. The man the victim was walking with was uninjured, police said.
Seventeen spent shell casings were found at the scene, fired from a large caliber semi-automatic weapon, Small said.
The suspect vehicle is believed to be a dark-colored sedan with a replacement or donut tire on the right front passenger side, Small said.
Police will be reviewing other surveillance cameras in the area and have found several witnesses to the shooting, Small said.
There is a $20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction, police said.
(NEW YORK) — Former deputy Eddie Duran has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of United States Air Force Sr. Airman Roger Fortson who was killed in his own home, the Florida state attorney said Monday.
Duran is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail on no bond and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday morning, online jail records show. It is unclear if he has an attorney at this time.
His arrest comes after the Florida state attorney filed one count of manslaughter with a firearm against him on Friday. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Fortson, 23, was in his home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on May 3 when Duran responded to the apartment for a call reporting a domestic disturbance, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Fortson was alone in the apartment at the time.
In body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office, Fortson is seen holding a gun in his right hand with his arm extended downward and the muzzle pointing at the floor as he opens the door in response to the deputy, who can be heard announcing twice that he’s with the sheriff’s office. The footage, reviewed by ABC News, also shows Fortson had his left hand up, palm showing, gesturing towards the deputy when he opened the door.
Duran shot Fortson within seconds of the door opening, according to the footage. Fortson died of his injuries.
The deputy said he saw Fortson armed with a gun and that Fortson took a step toward the deputy and had a look of aggression in his eyes, according to an interview Duran conducted with the sheriff’s office during their subsequent investigation.
The deputy was terminated from the department in May, according to a sheriff’s department statement obtained by ABC News.
Fortson’s girlfriend, who asked not to be identified due to fears for her safety, spoke in May to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV, telling the station her and Fortson were having a conversation on the phone about weekend plans when the shooting occurred.
“We continue to wish Mr. Fortson’s family comfort and peace, as the former deputy’s criminal case proceeds,” the Oklaloosa County Sheriff’s Office previously told ABC News in a statement. “We stand by our decision to terminate Mr. Duran as a result of the administrative internal affairs investigation that found his use of force was not objectively reasonable.”
A sweep of the home did not find another person in the apartment besides Fortson, police said. In the body camera video, a woman, presumed to be a building manager, explains to the officer that someone in the building notified her of the disturbance and that she called police.
Fortson’s family said in a statement to ABC News on Friday that the charges marked a “first step towards justice” in the case.
“Nothing can ever bring Roger back, and our fight is far from over, but we are hopeful that this arrest and these charges will result in real justice for the Fortson family,” the statement said. “Let this be a reminder to law enforcement officers everywhere that they swore a solemn oath to protect and defend, and their actions have consequences, especially when it results in the loss of life.”
The state attorney’s office said it’s very limited in what they can say because this is still an ongoing investigation. No press conferences are scheduled at this time.