He said Colt shot a deer in their first outing, leading Colin Gray to believe he had "turned a corner" with his son. But the rifle Colt was using jammed, so Colin said, "We keep doing good, you're doing good, maybe Santa Claus will bring you one." He then bought his son a rifle as his "big Christmas present" and gave him "the whole speech and everything" about gun safety, he said. Colt Gray, then 14, brought that AR-15-style rifle to Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, and opened fire on September 4, 2024. Four people were killed and nine were injured, before the teen surrendered to police.