FITZGERALD, Ga. — Georgia School Shooter Apologized to His Mother Before Killing Four People
Colt Gray, the accused Georgia school shooter, reportedly apologized to his mother just before killing four people, according to his grandfather and a news report. His mother, Marcee Gray, was visiting her father in Fitzgerald, Georgia, when she received a chilling text from Colt: “I’m sorry, mom.”
Panicked, Marcee, 43, called Apalachee High School, warning a counselor of an urgent emergency, hoping to prevent the tragedy. She rushed towards the school, but halfway through her three-hour drive to Winder, Georgia, she learned that two students and two teachers had already been killed.
Colt’s mother was devastated when she arrived at her father’s house on Saturday. She briefly spoke with reporters, calling the situation “absolutely horrible but sharing no further details.
School officials, alerted by Marcee’s call, tried to find Colt. However, by the time they searched his classroom, he was already gone, and the shooting had begun. A misunderstanding led an administrator to confuse him with another student with a similar name, delaying efforts to stop him.
Colt’s grandfather, Charles Polhamus, believes that Colt’s actions were influenced by his troubled relationship with his father, Colin Gray. He accused Colin of being a bad influence, claiming that he had caused problems for the family, including getting Marcee addicted to drugs.
Both Colt and Colin face murder charges, with authorities stating that Colin gave Colt the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas gift. Though Polhamus doesn’t excuse Colt’s actions, he insists that the father is largely to blame, saying Colt was a “good kid” before things went wrong.
Polhamus also described a toxic family environment, with Colin verbally abusing Marcee and the children. Marcee had moved away with her kids, but they were returned to their father after she was arrested for drug possession.
While Marcee had a troubled past, her father believes she was not to blame for Colt’s actions. He insists Colt was influenced by years of living in a destructive environment created by his father.
Colt’s grandfather emphasized that while Colt must face consequences for his actions, he believes Colt was “driven” to violence by his father.