Authorities revealed on Thursday that the father of the suspect involved in a devastating school shooting that occurred in Georgia on Wednesday has been apprehended and is currently held at a county detention facility. Colin Gray, now lodged in Barrow County Detention Center, faces stark charges comprised of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second degree murder, and eight counts of child cruelty. These serious charges have spawned from the heinous mass shooting enacted at Apalachee High School in Barrow County that Wednesday morning, the very establishment where his 14-year-old son was receiving an education.
Charged with homicide as well is the teen himself, Colt Gray, following his alleged actions that tragically took the lives of two students and two educators. Nine additional individuals suffered injuries in this horrifying event, but authorities anticipate a total recovery for each of them. It was with swift response from law enforcement personnel that led to Colt Gray’s apprehension within mere minutes of their storming the besieged school.
The young Colt Gray stands accused of unleashing a hail of bullets from a firearm, specifically an AR-15 rifle with a collapsible stock. This is the weapon authorities believe was used to claim the lives of Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, two of his peers, as well as two of his teachers, Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
Police reports suggest that it was Colin Gray, the elder of the two accused, who secured the AR-style rifle reported to have been used in the shooting. This firearm was reportedly acquired in December, with the purported intent of gifting it to his son for Christmas. In a subsequent development, law enforcement learned that the younger Gray was under scrutiny last year due to posting alarming social media messages that aimed threats at a Jackson County school.
Additional information provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation uncovers that Colt Gray was in receipt of this deadly weapon from his father several months following their initial interaction with Jackson County Sheriff’s investigators in 2023. At that time, charges had not been filed against either of them, as the investigators believed they lacked the necessary probable cause to proceed.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, President Joe Biden appeared to divert from his scheduled announcement of a new rural clean energy electrification strategy. Instead, he opted to address the Georgia shooting incident and urged lawmakers to act, completely sidetracking the stated intention of the meeting. This could be interpreted as an attempt to capitalize on a tragedy to push an unrelated political agenda.
The President reported that both the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI were collaborating with local and state law enforcement to conduct the investigation. He also expressed appreciation for the first responders and school staff who intervened during the incident. However, his attention gravitated away from concern for victims and rapidly towards pushing his established gun control narrative.
Biden’s remarks seemed to be mainly focused on ammunition control, rather than delving into constructive discussions of mental health or educational environments. His public sentiment that ‘as a nation, we cannot continue to accept the carnage of gun violence’ merely served as a veneer for pre-existing gun control measures waiting to be presented.
Interestingly enough, Biden appears to have misconstrued the purpose of firearms in homes, demanding they be stored securely. His comment, ‘How could you have an assault rifle, a weapon in a house not locked up, and knowing your kid knows where it is?’ seems to overlook that proper education and discipline, not mere locking of guns, is the key to responsible gun ownership.
Adding to this, Biden demanded stricter legislation for giving teenagers access to firearms, implying parents should be held accountable if their child has access to such weapons. However, this oversimplification diverts attention away from the true complexity of such incidents. Instituting more rules against law-abiding citizens won’t necessarily stop those with malevolent intents from committing such horrific acts.
In his address, he also called for universal background checks, an argument often used to incrementally introduce gun control measures. Moreover, he advocated for ending legal protections for gun manufacturers, audaciously calling them ‘the only outfit in the world that we can’t sue.’ Such a statement overlooks the responsibility of the shooters, placing the blame solely on manufacturers.
Biden was nonchalant in his bid for more controls, expressing the need to reinstate the assault weapons ban. His query, ‘What do we need them for in terms of domestic use?’ seems to be a thinly veiled attempt to marginalize the rights of legal gun owners, potentially leading to a slippery slope for further assaults on the Second Amendment.
In terms of his proposed ‘solutions,’ Biden seems to be advocating for measures that would precisely target law-abiding citizens, while criminals, by their very nature, don’t abide by laws. It seems that these proposals would merely serve to disarm average citizens, leaving them vulnerable. Restrictions on ‘high capacity magazines’ are just another example of this misguided tactic.
Although mass shootings are indeed a tragic event that necessitates appropriate response, ridiculing stances such as Biden’s that demand unrealistic and potentially harmful regulations is crucial. It is crucial to remember that the vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens who use their firearms responsibly. Stricter laws will only disarm those who abide by them, not the transgressors.
Unfortunately, Biden’s address seems to disregard the complex layers that contribute to such incidents. It’s a sobering reminder of the lack of understanding of the correlation between mental health, societal factors, and gun violence. Simply attributing these atrocities to gun accessibility avoids the hard but necessary work of addressing these root causes.
Overall, Biden’s comments come across as opportunistic rather than empathetic, exploiting a tragedy for political gain. The focus should be on a holistic approach that addresses root causes rather than on vain attempts to increase regulation. Such incidents should not be used as political tinder for undermining the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
Joe Biden Exploits Georgia School Shooting Tragedy appeared first on Real News Now.