Apalachee ‘shooter’ Colt Gray ‘driven’ to carry out school massacre & his dad should get the death penalty, grandad says

THE grandfather of alleged school shooter Colt Gray wants the teenager’s father to get the death penalty for his accused role in the massacre.

Charles Polhamus, Gray’s maternal grandfather, has spoken out about the upbringing of the Gray children , including their father’s alleged abuse and their mother’s drug addiction.

AP

Reuters

AP

The 14-year-old was arrested and charged last week with four counts of felony murder after allegedly carrying out Georgia’s deadliest school shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.

Four people were killed in the shooting, and nine others were injured.

Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were named as the victims of the shooting.

Colin Gray, Colt’s father, was also arrested and charged in connection with the shooting after allegations that he “knowingly allowed” his son to have the gun that police say was used at the school.

It comes as…

• Suspect Colt Gray, 14, and dad Colin appear in court for first time
• Dad’s ‘Russian roulette’ move before shooting forced ‘uncharted’ charges
• Grandad opens up on ‘abuse’ and mom’s drug arrest revealed
• Students Mason Schermerhorn , 14, Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie identified as those killed
• Gray and his dad were interviewed by the FBI a year before after authorities received online threats of a possible school shooting

The rifle used in the shooting was a Christmas gift from Colin, police say.

The 54-year-old faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.

Now, Colt Gray’s grandfather has lashed out at Colin, claiming that the teenager was “driven by his father to do what he did.”

“Spending 11 years with that son of a b**** screaming and hollering every day – it can affect anybody,” Polhamus, 81, told The New York Post .

“He’s evil. They couldn’t, they didn’t survive in it,” he added.

“Prior to going through this, [Colt] was a good kid. I will preach that forever.”

Polhamus has called for the death penalty to be handed to Gray’s father for allegedly pushing his son to the point where he carried out the attack.

“Colt has to pay for what he did, but I’m telling you, he was driven, no question in my mind,” Polhamus said.

“He was driven by his father to do what he did. That’s as plain as I can put it, and I know I’m right.

“[Colin Gray] got what he deserved, too. He needs the death penalty.”

Timeline of Apalachee High School shooting

Below is a timeline of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4:

8:30 am – First period begins at AHS

9:45 am – Suspect Colt Gray leaves algebra class, according to his classmate

10:20 am – Police start to receive calls about an active shooter

10:23 am – Law enforcement officers are dispatched to school and arrive in minutes

10:45 am – AHS sends message to parents saying the school is in a hard lockdown

11:20 am – Students are evacuated to the football field

11:56 am – Barrow County Sheriff’s Office reports a suspect is in custody

2:13 pm – Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirms four people were killed and nine were hospitalized with injuries

“Colin Gray did this to his family and he will rot in h*** for it. That’s a fact,” he added.

If convicted, Colin could get 180 years behind bars, though an expert who spoke with The U.S. Sun believes he may be able to dodge a life sentence .

At a hearing on Friday morning, Colt Gray was informed that he would be tried as an adult but that he would not get the death penalty because he is under the age of 18.

However, if convicted, he faces life in prison .

‘EXTREME EMERGENCY’

Text messages from Gray’s aunt, Annie Brown, showed that concerns about his mental state had been raised between the family and the school in the week leading up to the shooting.

In one message seen by The Washington Post , Brown said her nephew was having “homicidal and suicidal thoughts.”

Getty

AFP

“He shouldn’t have a gun, and he should’ve been in THERAPY months ago,” she wrote.

Gray’s mother, Marcee Gray, also contacted the school to warn about her son just moments before the shooting began, The Washington Post reported.

Polhamus revealed that the morning of the shooting, the teenager texted his mom saying, “I’m sorry, mother.”

Marcee called the school to warn them before shots rang out in the classroom.

“I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find [my son] to check on him,” Marcee told her sister in text messages seen by The Washington Post.

A call log from the family phone revealed that someone had called the school for 10 minutes at around 9:50 am, around half an hour before the shooting started.

In a desperate attempt to get to the school, Gray’s mother started the three-hour drive to Winder and was halfway there when she heard of the shooting on the news.

Colin Gray did this to his family and he will rot in hell for it. That’s a fact.

Charles Polhamus Colt Gray's maternal grandfather

Gray’s mother called the shooting “absolutely horrific” and said, “I am so, so sorry and can not fathom the pain and suffering they are going through right now.”

The FBI had interviewed the teenager and his father about 15 months before the school shooting over disturbing posts made online.

At the time, Colt Gray denied making threats on Discord , claiming that his account had been hacked.

The investigation was closed when cops failed to find enough evidence to link Gray or his father to the account.

Gray and his father will be kept in custody and will appear in court on December 4.

No pleas were entered at either hearing on Friday morning.

AP

Reuters