The mother of a teenager charged with fatally shooting two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school called the school that morning warning about an "extreme emergency", according to a family member.

Marcee Gray, the mother of suspected shooter Colt Gray, 14, said she told the counsellor at Apalachee High School in the town of Winder to find her son immediately, according to Ms Gray's sister. 

Annie Brown said Ms Gray texted her saying she spoke with a school counsellor and warned staff of an "extreme emergency" before the killings.

Officials say Colt shot and killed students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

Eight other students and a teacher were injured — seven of them shot — and are expected to recover.

Mother wanted son found 'immediately'

In comments reported in the Washington Post and confirmed to AP, Ms Brown said Ms Gray had urged the school to "immediately" find her son to check on him.

Ms Brown provided screenshots of the text exchange to the Washington Post, which also reported that a call log from the family's shared phone plan showed a call was made to the school at 9:50am.

Warrants for Colt's arrest say the shooting started at 10:20am.

Ms Gray expressed remorse for the "pain and suffering" that the victims and their families are going through.

A school administrator went to Colt's mathematics class that morning, the Post reported, but he was not in the room.

The mother of a classmate of Colt Gray said the shooting could have been prevented.

"The school failed them, that they could have prevented these deaths and they didn't," Rabecca Sayarath said.

"I truly, truly feel that way."

Ms Sayarath's daughter, Lyela, told reporters on the day of the shooting that administrators appeared to be looking for Colt Gray before the gunfire began.

Accused was due to start therapy

Charles Polhamus, the boy's grandfather, has told multiple news outlets that Marcee Gray got a text from her son on Wednesday saying he was sorry.

Mr Polhamus told CNN that Ms Gray drove more than 320 kilometres to Winder immediately after the shooting.

The Washington Post also reported that texts show relatives contacted the school about the boy's mental health a week before the shooting, and that Ms Brown told a relative he was having "homicidal and suicidal thoughts".

The Washington Post reported that the teen's grandmother, Deborah Polhamus, met with a school counsellor to request help.

The boy "starts with the therapist tomorrow," Ms Polhamus wrote in a text to Ms Brown after that meeting.

Father charged

Colt Gray has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder. 

His father, Colin Gray, is also charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children, in an emerging legal strategy to hold parents responsible for allowing access to firearms to minors who carry out attacks.

Prosecutors say Colin Gray provided the semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting.

In May 2023, investigators from a neighbouring county interviewed both Colin and Colt Gray about online threats to carry out a school shooting. 

Colt Gray said he had not made the threats, and his father said his son did not have free access to his hunting rifles.

The case was closed after investigators could not substantiate that either Gray was connected to the threats.

AP/Reuters