2 months ago
25
In the aftermath of the tragic
Apalachee High School shooting
, the grandfather of suspect
Colt Gray
has spoken publicly about the family's troubled past and the devastating consequences of the environment in which his grandson was raised.
According to Channel 2 Action News reports,
Charlie Polhamus
expressed sorrow for the events that unfolded, while emphasizing the difficult circumstances surrounding Colt Gray’s upbringing.
“I’m not discounting what my grandson did. It was awful. And he needs to pay a price for it,” Polhamus was quoted as saying. “He was driven to do what he did by the environment that he lived in.”
The 16-year-old Colt Gray faces four counts of felony murder following the shooting that claimed the lives of four people and injured nine others. His father, Colin Gray, was also arrested and charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children.
Both father and son appeared in
Barrow County court
for preliminary hearings on Friday. While Colt Gray, as a minor, is exempt from the death penalty, he could face life imprisonment. Colin Gray’s potential sentence could reach 180 years if convicted.
District Attorney Brad Smith
addressed the media after the hearings, underscoring the rarity of a parent being charged in connection with a school shooting. “This may be the first case in Georgia, and the second in the country, where a parent faces charges like this,” Smith said.
Polhamus, struggling with the weight of the situation, added, “He deserves what he gets. The one thing I’m telling you is he wasn’t born to do that. He’s a victim of his environment. That’s as plain as I can put it.”
Prosecutors plan to present both cases before a grand jury on October 17.
