The grandfather of the teenager accused in the Georgia school shooting has called for the death penalty for the boy’s father, whom he blames for inciting the tragic event.

The grandfather of Colt Gray, the teenager accused of the Georgia school shooting, has called for the death penalty for Colt’s father, Colin Gray, attributing much of the blame for the tragedy to him. Charles Polhamus, 81, Colt’s maternal grandfather, expressed his view that Colin Gray should be held responsible for the shooting at Apalachee High School, which resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers.

In an interview with the New York Post, Polhamus condemned Colin Gray, saying he was “evil” and deserved the death penalty. He claimed that Colin Gray’s abusive behavior, which Polhamus described as “screaming and hollering every day,” had a severe impact on his grandson. While acknowledging that Colt must face consequences for his actions, Polhamus insisted that his grandson’s behavior was heavily influenced by his father.

Polhamus revealed that Colin Gray had been charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children for his alleged involvement in the shooting. If convicted, Gray could face up to 180 years in prison.

The shooting incident, which occurred at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, resulted in the deaths of Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Christian Angulo, 14; Richard Aspinwall, 39; and Christina Irimie, 53. It was further reported that despite prior concerns, Colin Gray had gifted Colt an AR-15-style rifle for Christmas 2023, the same weapon believed to have been used in the shooting.

Polhamus also criticized the media’s portrayal of Colt, suggesting that exposure to violent content on tablets and the influence of a dysfunctional home environment contributed to the tragedy. He claimed that Colin Gray’s financial mismanagement and alleged addiction problems led to the loss of their farm and negatively affected the family.

Polhamus revealed that Colt’s mother, Marcee Gray, had struggled with addiction and domestic issues, which led to her losing custody of Colt and her other children. On the morning of the shooting, Marcee received a troubling text from Colt that read, “I’m sorry mom.” Despite her attempts to alert the school to an “extreme emergency,” it was too late to prevent the tragedy.