Mother of suspected Georgia high school shooter apologizes to victims' families in open letter

The high school shooting occurred last week. Two students and two teachers were killed. Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of murder and will be tried as an adult. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Colin Gray, the boy's father, has also been charged with 14 counts in connection with the shooting. Investigators say Colin supplied Colt with the AR-15 rifle used in the massacre. He is charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of first-degree murder and eight counts of child abuse.

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Mother of suspected Georgia high school shooter expresses condolences for deceased teachers

Marcee Gray, Colt's mother, shared the open letter CNN: “To the parents and families of those affected by the tragic events at Apalachee High School, I want to say that I am deeply sorry.”

“If I could take the place of Mason and Christian [two 14-year-olds killed in the mass shooting]I would do that without hesitation. As a father, I have always said that the loss of one of my children would be the one thing I could not get over. I feel all your pain and despair. I mourn and cry with you.”

“My heart breaks for the two teachers who lost their lives in the service of education and protecting our children,” she added. Teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, died while trying to protect their students during the chaos.

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Mother of suspected Georgia high school shooter defends his son

Marcee Gray expressed her overwhelming guilt and remorse in the letter, stating: “We are all in a living nightmare right now and I personally will never forgive myself for what happened.”

“My son Colt is not a monster. He is my oldest baby. He is calm, thoughtful, caring, funny and extremely intelligent,” she wrote. She also asked for prayers for her son and family and prayed for the victims and their families. “Please pray for him and the rest of our family, as I pray for all of you every moment of the day.”

On the day of the shooting, Marcee Gray received a text message from Colt that simply said “I'm sorry, Mom,” according to CNN, according to her father, Charles Polhamus. She then called the school at around 9:50 a.m., about half an hour before police responded to the shooting. She reportedly warned the school of an “extreme emergency” and informed a school counselor.

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Colt's grandfather, Charles Polhamus, expressed his own despair over the situation, noting that Colt was a “good boy,” but blamed the influence of Colt's father, Colin Gray, for his descent into violence. He called Colt's father “evil” and claimed that Colt had been under the influence of a “dysfunctional father who was a screamer and a shouter” for years.