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Colt Gray, 14 of Winder, GA was the perpetrator in the Apalachee High School Shooting this week. Another tragedy to add to the growing list in our severely dysfunctional society that is modern America circa 2024. The stories written to date have centered on the tragedy of the day and eyewitness accounts along with interviews with family and neighbors of the shooter. The news also included a past report of a threat from the shooter a year ago that law enforcement deemed irrelevant and having no probable cause to make any intervention. Recent news includes the arrest of Colt Gray’s father Colin for giving or gifting him the weapon used in the shooting. Also reported is the recent separation of Colt’s mother from the family. She, of course is said to be a known criminal drug dealer, in and out of jail and criminal offense proceedings. Her actions are certainly not a good example of parental authority in Colt’s life. Also, certainly a possible adjuvant and broader explanation of motive in Colt’s psychology of despair leading up to this carnage.
The majority of the noise in the media we hear remains the same old overplayed politically charged outrage to ban automatic weapons, as if to suggest that, in an of itself would solve the problem of school and other mass shooting events. I proclaim vehemently the answer to that question is absolutely NOT.
Guns don’t kill by themselves. Persons with intent to kill and harm utilize guns or other weapons to kill and harm. The motive of persons perpetrating these heinous crimes should be the key component of study to help in reducing and predicting or preempting their occurrences. In order for that to happen, leaders need to accept that reasoning. The politics needs to be put aside regarding guns and their legality issues. Discussion of such is truly an irrelevant argument, and a distraction. No one who is serious about changing the trajectory of the ongoing occurrence of mass shootings should be focused on this distraction, but rather on the motivation of the individuals who perpetrate these crimes.
It is a well known but rarely reported fact that almost all of the school and mass shootings occurring in modern times have been perpetrated by persons with known and present mental health issues, as corroborated by people known to be in their immediate lives prior to the crimes they have committed. More importantly, in many of the cases, mental health intervention was vehemently requested for by those who knew the person, or others who contacted authorities about the person. Too many times we have heard these stories, yet no one, or no agency that has “dropped the ball” has been held accountable. There has often been a pre-emptive event or events signaling a mental health crisis, yet services are for want, or un-available. A loud CRY in the night… with no answer!
We as adults are failing our children and young adults by not providing the basic means to those who are crying out for help. Another potential cause of failure regarding our youth lies in the leniency, and/or lack of discipline given/allowed to children today. In my youth, I can remember a few “beatings” for some major offenses. These avenues of punishment absolutely deterred me from the further path of wrongdoing. Surely, there should be delineation between “corporal punishment” and “child abuse”. Perhaps parents have become lesser authoritarian, perhaps lacking a representative good example for their children as they themselves are criminals; as is the case with Colt?
Where help outside of family may be available, children reaching out are being confused and fed messages which deter them from seeking mental health when they need it. They are confused and being confused by educators and counselors focused on giving mixed messages of gender identification, pre-pubescent inappropriate sexualized messaging and indoctrination for political purposes instead of addressing real mental health concerns consistent with what the child is presenting in their own unique situation. Our children are literally afraid to reach out for fear of not finding trusting, honest adult help in our public schools and resources. There may also be mixed messages in the home life as well, and in social interaction and social media, where the child is literally road blocked and so conflicted that he/she feels ultimately forced into a situation with no where to turn. How are we as adults also seemingly accountable in these situations? How can we, or should we intervene and help? A question we should all ask ourselves.
The study of the motives behind school shooters since Columbine in 1999 to present to my knowledge has not been done by any credentialed authority. Sure there are statistics, showing 417 shootings beginning with Columbine to present. A marked increase in number from 2018 to present is apparent as well. Surely, a funded study related to correlations regarding motive, environmental and social factors involved should be on a bi-partisan basis immediately ordered; to include conclusions, recommendations for solutions and address immediate concerns capable of remediation in real time. I hope the reason we have not done this, is not related to anti-2nd amendment politics, as that would be egregious and anesthetically counter productive to actually addressing the problem, and saving lives.
Also notable is that recently Democratic Senator Chris Murphy – CT and VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris are sponsoring bills to eliminate police and security officers from public schools. I wonder how this will serve to protect our children who may find themselves victimized during the next school shooting event?
With respect to quality mental health and the lack of availability of it, it is my opinion that there should be only one Socialized and Universal form of health care in our country without any income verification or required payment (payment should come from government) and that is Mental Health Care; as this is usually the most expensive and least available to those who need it most but the benefit of which is invaluable to all of us regarding livelihood and safety. Also, the ability to commit people that present an obvious threat to harm themselves or others on large scale is something lacking in our society and needs immediate funding and availability. Why did we ever outlaw asylums for those who needed to be committed there to protect others from potentially lethal outcomes? To provide basic mental health care to all Americans would undoubtedly save lives and prevent some of these shootings usually done as a result of a mental health breakdowns and cataclysmic cries from victims turned perpetrators. Many a law enforcement officer or criminal justice professional will attest to the countless statements taken from criminals whose motivation arose as a culmination of unabated frustration and no means of available help in that persons inner circle.
The failure as a society to care for the mental health of our people and incarcerate those who present with societal risk before the culmination of catastrophe will surely result in a prevention of tragedy. As a society the moment is at hand that calls for this action.
This is a well written and comprehensive article that raises the questions American citizens are asking across this country. Any thinking person understands that the gun is not lethal until it is the hands of a human being. However, I disagree with Miss Conti's answer to the problem. We certainly do not need government funding this action. Government intervention always fails. There is an answer that lies with food, body chemistry, and environment. Not with government!
$100k drain on society for the next 60 years. He should have gone down in a blaze of glory.
re-open the mental institutions and put them in !!!!! And most of this will stop, maybe all.
No sane person goes into a school and starts shooting.