That morning, Marcee received a spine-chilling text from her son: “I’m sorry.” Those weren’t just words—they were the last desperate plea before disaster struck. At 9:50 a.m., Marcee dialed the school, desperate for answers. But instead of calming her fears, the school counselor only heightened her terror.

“The counselor told me, ‘I just got an email from one of Colt’s teachers this morning. They said he was talking about school shootings,’” Marcee recounted in a trembling voice during an ABC News interview. “Between that gut-wrenching text, my instincts, and this email, I was screaming in my head: ‘Get to him, NOW!’”

Panic took over as Marcee texted her sister, Annie Brown, warning of an “extreme emergency,” urging the school to act fast. But her pleas were too late. Just 30 minutes later, Colt unleashed hell, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. The school fumbled—chasing the wrong student with a similar name—and the critical chance to stop the massacre slipped through their fingers.

Two teachers and two innocent students were gunned down, nine others wounded—casualties of fatal negligence. “If I could take their place, I would, without a second thought,” Marcee said, choking on regret. But regret can't undo the horror.

Before the bloodshed began, eerie rumors had already swept through the halls. Police revealed that earlier that morning, an anonymous caller had warned the school about an impending attack at Apalachee High, part of a plot targeting five schools.

Now, Colt Gray faces four counts of aggravated murder. His father, Colin, charged with involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children, joins him behind bars. Both await trial on December 4.

This shooting isn't just another tragic headline; it's a stark reminder of the deadly cost when warnings are ignored and responses come too late.