FITZGERALD, Ga. — Mother of Georgia teenager charged with fatally shooting four people at his high school has been charged in connection with an alleged incident at the home last year.
The indictment announced Monday charges Marcee Gray, 43, with exploitation of an elderly person and other crimes in Ben Hill County, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. It does not appear to be related to the Apalachee High School shootings, which occurred in another Georgia county nearly 200 miles away.
Gray is the mother of 14-year-old Colt Gray, who was charged with murder after surrendering to police at the high school on Sept. 4. Authorities say the boy brought an assault rifle to school in his backpack and opened fire during morning classes, killing two students and two teachers and injured nine others.
The indictment charging Marcee Gray stems from a domestic incident late last year, the Atlanta Journal reported. It said a police report says Gray’s 74-year-old mother told authorities on Nov. 4 that Gray had taken her phone, taped her to a chair and left her for nearly an entire day.
The incident report said Gray tied up his mother before she traveled to Barrow County to confront her ex-husband, who lived with their son and two other children. The Atlanta newspaper said records show Gray was arrested in Barrow County on Nov. 6, two days after her mother was found and sentenced to 45 days in jail after pleading guilty to criminal trespassing charges, using a license plate to hide her car and cause property damage.
Messages left Saturday at possible phone numbers for Gray were not immediately returned. It was not immediately known if she had an attorney.
Gray has said that she called her son’s high school the morning of the shooting to alert staff after Colt Gray sent her a text saying “I’m sorry.” Days later, she issued a statement that her son “is not a monster.”
The teenager’s father, Colin Grayhas also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. Authorities say he gave his son access to the rifle used in the shootings.