Debate is intensifying on social media following the identification of Lisa Butler, a Black woman who reportedly served as the school counselor for Colt Gray, the Apalachee High School shooter. Controversial investigative reporter Jonathan Lee Riches named Butler in a tweet on Sept. 7, alleging that some students blame her for not preventing the shooting, which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers. Riches further claimed that Gray’s grandparents and mother had reached out to Butler with concerns about his mental health in the days leading up to the incident. These claims, however, remain unverified by other sources.
Riches’ assertions have sparked a wave of criticism, with many accusing him of deflecting blame from Gray’s father, who allowed the 14-year-old access to firearms. Social media users were quick to defend Butler, noting that school counselors cannot be held responsible for such tragedies, particularly when the issue lies with the availability of guns. “Blaming the Black school counselor instead of the father who bought him a gun? Nope,” one user commented. Another pointed out that the real responsibility should rest with the father, who “should’ve never bought him a gun knowing he had mental problems.”
The accusations against Butler follow reports that Colt Gray’s mother, Marcee Gray, had sent urgent messages to the school warning staff about her son’s deteriorating mental health just before the shooting. Screenshots and call logs provided by Marcee’s sister, Anne Brown, show that she contacted the school counselor at 9:50 a.m., about 30 minutes before the shooting began. Brown also revealed that the family had been in touch with the school for a week prior, expressing concerns about Gray’s suicidal and homicidal thoughts. Despite these warnings, it remains unclear whether school officials had time to intervene.
Gray’s father, Colin Gray, now faces legal consequences as the first parent in Georgia charged in connection with a school shooting. He has been charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children for providing his son with the rifle used in the attack. Colt Gray, currently held in a juvenile detention center, has not been indicted, nor has he entered a plea. Investigators have yet to disclose any motives or whether Gray specifically targeted his victims. The case has raised broader questions about gun access, mental health, and the responsibilities of parents and schools in preventing such tragedies.
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