Grandfather of Georgia high school shooting suspect calls for son-in-law to face death penalty for role in attack

The father of the alleged Georgia school shooter deserves to face the death penalty after “turning his son into a mass murderer”, the grandfather of Colt Gray has said.

It has been claimed that Colt, 14, used an AR-15-style rifle – allegedly gifted by his father – during a shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.

Colin Gray now faces four counts of manslaughter and two counts of second-degree murder.

His ex-father-in-law, Charles Polhamus said the suspected teenage shooter was “driven by his father to do what he did”.

It has since emerged that Colt’s grandmother visited the school to discuss his behaviour, just hours before the attack.

“Spending 11 years with that son of a b***h screaming and hollering every day, it can affect anybody,” Polhamus told the NY Post.

“He needs the death penalty.”

The tragedy saw two students and two teachers killed as well as nine injured.

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The suspected gunman’s parents split in 2022 after being evicted from their home.

Colt was living with his father at the time of the shooting.

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

“Colt is like a lot of young kids these days with the tablets and some of the garbage they pull up, the blood and all the fighting.

“If you don’t think that has an impact on young kids, you’re missing the boat, and that was also part of Colt’s problem.

“It’s part of it — and living with a dysfunctional dad who was a screamer and a hollerer.

“No question about it. Prior to going through this, he was a good kid. I will preach that forever.”

The 81-year-old said his wife Deborah had visited the school just the day before the shooting amid concerns about Colt.

“They were having some problems with him not going to school, and this kind of thing,” he told CBS.

Text messages revealed that Colt’s school and family were in contact regarding his deteriorating mental health at least a week before the shooting.