In newly surfaced footage, 14-year-old Colt Gray grins, his face smeared with blood, as he poses next to a deer he killed with an AR-15—a weapon disturbingly similar to the one he later used in a deadly school shooting. Standing by his side is his father, Colin Gray, who proudly calls it “the greatest day ever.” This chilling moment offers a glimpse into a home steeped in gun worship and a twisted father-son bond built on violence.
The Gray family represents more than just another tragic case of gun violence. They embody a growing domestic terror threat, fueled by survivalist ideologies, toxic masculinity, and an obsession with firearms. Over the course of a year and a half, Colin systematically groomed his son for violence, teaching him to use weapons from bows to Bushmaster rifles. This wasn’t merely hunting; it was a dark indoctrination into militarism and paranoia.
In the footage, Colt stands triumphantly over the dead deer, his AR-15 in hand, as his father directs him to pose for the camera. The blood on his cheeks is treated like a badge of honor, a twisted rite of passage into manhood. Colin beams with pride, but beneath this façade of fatherly bonding, a far more sinister narrative was unfolding.
Colt wasn’t just learning how to hunt. He was struggling with intense bullying at school, particularly over his perceived sexuality. Isolated and humiliated, Colt became obsessed with school shootings. Instead of intervening or seeking help, Colin doubled down on their gun-centric lifestyle, preparing his son for a world where violence was the answer.
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The Gray family didn’t shy away from conversations about school shootings—in fact, they had them frequently. In May 2023, the FBI got involved after Colt allegedly posted threats online about carrying out a shooting himself. Despite the red flags, no charges were filed, and Colt assured his father, “I’m a good boy, Daddy. I would never do it.” Now, that denial reads as a stark warning sign that authorities missed—or chose to ignore.
Colin Gray wasn’t just a father teaching his son “gun safety.” He actively prepared him for violent confrontation. After the FBI tip-off, Colin admitted to purchasing the AR-15 that Colt would later use to murder two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School. What seemed like a father’s misguided attempt to bond with his son was actually the groundwork for a deadly rampage.
Colt’s actions were not those of a troubled teen who suddenly snapped. His descent into violence was nurtured by his father, who glorified guns and violence. This wasn’t just bad parenting—it was the cultivation of a domestic threat. Colin’s failure to protect his son from the toxic influences of bullying and isolation, coupled with his fixation on firearms, created a perfect storm for catastrophe.
As Colt stood in court this week, head down and barely speaking, his father wept openly. But the tears don’t erase Colin’s role in shaping his son into a killer. This wasn’t a case of a boy who lost his way; it was the product of a household that normalized violence and weaponry as solutions to life’s challenges. After Colt was arrested, his aunt Annie Polhamus Brown, took to Facebook where she revealed her defiance against law enforcement, promising to support him no matter what.
The Gray family’s story highlights a dangerous trend in America—one where domestic radicalization happens not in militia groups or extremist organizations, but in everyday homes. This is a grim reminder that the toxic combination of guns, isolation, and unchecked rage can create homegrown terror cells hiding in plain sight.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
