School shooting suspect's grandfather: 'I totally blame the father'

FITZGERALD — The grandfather of the 14-year-old Georgia school shooting suspect blamed the teen’s home life and father for creating an environment that led to last week’s violence that left two teachers and two students dead.

Charles Polhamus, speaking to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday, said he largely blamed his grandson’s father, Colin Gray, following Wednesday’s deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. His grandson, Colt Gray, has been charged with four counts of felony murder. Prosecutors say more charges are forthcoming.

“Me personally, I totally blame the father,” said Polhamus, whose daughter is Colt Gray’s mother. “He just as well shot these people as far as I’m concerned. Because I don’t particularly think my grandson would have been the way he was except the environment that he lived in.”

Colin Gray, 54, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children on Sept. 5, a day after four people were shot to death and nine injured.

“These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said during a news conference announcing the charges.

Warrants obtained Monday indicate Colin Gray was charged with two counts of second-degree murder relating to the death of students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14. He faces the involuntary manslaughter counts stemming from the deaths of teachers Ricky Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, and the two students. The warrants allege Colin Gray provided his son a gun “with knowledge that he was a threat to himself and others.”

Polhamus said he is not trying to absolve his grandson.

“I’m damn sure not sugarcoating anything,” Polhamus said “They both need to pay a full price.”

Polhamus and his family have lived in Fitzgerald in Ben Hill County for at least four decades. It’s where Marcee Gray, Colt’s mother, grew up. She has a criminal history dating back 17 years.

Marcee Gray, 43, has faced prosecution in Barrow, Fulton and Forsyth counties, accused of domestic violence, drug possession, property damage and traffic violations. She has also faced civil fraud claims related to a vehicle purchase and was in jail in Ben Hill County as recently as April, according to publicly available court filings.

Marcee Gray was granted a $5,700 bond on April 12 in Ben Hill County, where she was charged with aggravated battery of a 73-year-old woman, theft, false imprisonment, criminal trespass and failure to appear. A warrant reviewed by the AJC on Monday said the woman she allegedly harmed last November at the family’s home in Fitzgerald was Deborah Polhamus, her mother. The warrant alleges that Gray taped her mother’s hands and feet to a chair and prevented her from leaving the home.

Charles Polhamus spoke to the AJC from the steps of his family’s South Georgia home, which sits in a pine-shaded neighborhood. The end of the family driveway bears a novelty street sign: “God-It-Made Blvd.” Charles Polhamus is known in the community as an accomplished pole-vaulter who competed nationally. At age 40, he tried to make the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Los Angeles, but he did not make the team. He’s known for having taught local students and young people the sport for years.

His family has been thrust into the national media spotlight since Wednesday’s shooting.

“It’s certainly been hard on the whole family,” he said, adding that “My faith is the only thing that keeps me from going off the deep end. And (my faith) doesn’t make me any better than anybody else. But it will let me and my family survive.”

Polhamus said he believes the environment his grandson grew up in is what caused him to lash out.

“(Home) environment affects everybody,” he said. “And it affects children and it affects families. We live in a society now that doesn’t teach respect and responsibility. We just don’t. I hate it.”

He told the AJC he’s been bombarded by reporters seeking interviews and he’s done talking to the press about the shooting.

“I really can’t do this now,” he said. “I’ve done 20 of these (interviews) and really don’t want to do any more. It’s bad enough what I’m going through. It’s bad for everybody. It’s not just bad for my daughter.”

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