Episode Details

LISTEN: On the Wednesday, Sept. 11 edition of Georgia Today: The mother of the alleged Apalachee High School shooter speaks out; Georgia voters react to last night's presidential debate; and the Fearless Fund agrees to close down a grant program for Black women entrepreneurs.

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, Sept. 11. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, the mother of the alleged Apalachee High School shooter speaks out. Georgia voters react to last night's presidential debate. And the Fearless Fund agrees to close down a grant program for Black women entrepreneurs. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: The mother of the alleged gunman in the Apalachee High School shooting is apologizing to victims' families. GPB's Chase McGee reports, her comments come a week after her son Colt Gray allegedly killed four and wounded nine at the school in Winder.

Chase McGee: In a letter first obtained by CNN, Marcee Gray apologizes to the parents of two students who were killed in the shooting, saying, quote, "If I could take the place of Mason and Christian, I would without a second thought." She maintains her son Colt is, quote, "not a monster," adding that she was heartbroken by the loss of two teachers who died trying to protect the students. Marcee Gray called the school 30 minutes before the shooting began in what she says was an attempt to warn them. Colt Gray and his father, Colin, who allegedly gave the assault-style weapon to his son, remain in jail following the shootings. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee. .

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. But a new study of gun-owning parents finds that many believe teaching children proper gun handling and safety is more important than providing safe gun storage. GPB's Ellen Eldridge reports.

Ellen Eldridge: The research also found that parents who do not secure weapons were more likely to have at least one loaded gun in the home. Jennifer Paruk is with the Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers University. She wrote the study. She says the risk to children of an unsecured firearm outweighs the need for protection.

Jennifer Paruk: The risk of firearm injury and death might be actually higher inside the home, and that storing firearms unsecured — so, keeping them unlocked, keeping them loaded and ready to go — increases the likelihood that your child is going to die by firearm injury.

Ellen Eldridge: She says future studies should investigate the effects of parental engagement in situations where children were injured or killed by firearms. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

Caption

Trump supporters watch the debate Sept. 10, 2024, at a gun store in Cobb County.

Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Georgia voters from both sides of the aisle flocked to debate watch parties to support their candidate last night. GPB's Sarah Kallis has more.

Sarah Kallis: Former President Donald Trump's supporters gathered at Adventure Outdoors in Cobb County, a store that bills itself as the world's largest gun store. Their lively supporters filled the room, cheered for the former president, and booed Vice President Kamala Harris. Larry Charles is from Stone Mountain and attended the watch party.

Larry Charles: I think that it's, it's very, very — It's a slam dunk for the president, for Donald Trump.<