The Apalachee High school shooting in Georgia has ripped the nation apart. Colt Gray, the alleged shooter, has had many details leak following his arrest. However, Gray's grandfather, Charlie Polhamus, spoke to WMAZ about the blame being shared between Colt and his father, Colin. Per WMAZ, Polhamus was direct with his opinions on the tragedy.
"I understand that Colt did it, and he needs to pay the ultimate price," he told the outlet. "I understand that and I don't disagree with that, but his dad is as guilty as Colt is." According to Polhamus, he didn't see either Colt or Colin too frequently. Reportedly, there had been issues with Colt's behavior and attitude prior to the shooting.
Polhamus addressed the fact that Colt's parents had both been struggling personally and within their marriage. This caused all of their children, Colt included, to be shifted between homes constantly. The grandfather pushed for the younger children to stay with Marcee, their mother. "I think yesterday morning he sent [Marcee] a text saying he was sorry," Polhamus recalled. "She was here. That's sad."
The Grandfather Of Alleged Apalachee High School Shooter Lays Equal Blame With Father
Colin was also arrested, charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children. He admitted to giving Colt an AR-15 for Christmas. That was the weapon used during the tragic school shooting.
Authorities had visited the Grays in May of 2023. At the time, Colt had threatened to go on a shooting spree. However, Colin defended his son, saying initially, Colt did have issues at school. However, Colin stated that things had been better since his son changed schools.
Colin also told investigators that Colt was allowed to use hunting rifles. "Colt is allowed to use them when supervised but does not have unfettered access to them," Colin said. Unfortunately, a year and a half later, tragedy would strike Apalachee High School.
Colt is currently being charged with four counts of felony murder. As more updates following the shooting emerges, we at Wide Open Country will be sure to keep our readership informed.