Grandpa of accused school shooter says teen’s ‘evil’ father should get death penalty for provoking massacre

The grandfather of a teenager charged with killing four people in a US school shooting, have lashed out at the teen’s dad.

The father of accused Georgia school shooter Colt Gray should get the death penalty for his role in the massacre, the boy’s furious grandfather says.

Charles Polhamus, the 14-year-old alleged gunman’s maternal grandfather, told The Post over the weekend that former son-in-law Colin Gray should bear much of the blame for last week’s bloodbath at Apalachee High School that left two teens and two teachers dead.

“Spending 11 years with that son of a b**** screaming and hollering every day — it can affect anybody,” Polhamus, 81, said of his 54-year-old ex-son-in-law, who was married to his daughter Marcee.

“He’s evil,” Polhamus said of Gray.

“They couldn’t, they didn’t survive in it,” he said of the family.

Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of murder following the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Picture: Barrow County Sheriff's Office/AFP

Colin Gray should get the death penalty for his role in the massacre, according to the accused shooter’s grandfather. Picture: Barrow County Sheriff Office

“Colt has to pay for what he did, but I’m telling you, he was driven, no question in my mind,” Polhamus said. “He was driven by his father to do what he did. That’s as plain as I can put it, and I know I’m right.

“[Colin Gray] got what he deserved, too,” he added of the dad, who was charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children for being an alleged accessory in the school shooting.

Gray gave his troubled son an AR-15-style rifle for Christmas — the weapon that Colt ended up using in Wednesday’s slaughter, authorities have said.

“He needs the death penalty,” the grandpa said of Gray.

Gray faces up to 180 years behind bars if convicted in the heinous crime.

Colt is charged with four counts of murder and will be tried as an adult over the bloody rampage, prosecutors said. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Two students and two teachers were shot and killed. Picture: Megan Varner/Getty Images/AFP

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

Polhamus said Gray squandered the family’s finances and ended up losing their “half million dollar farm” because of drug addiction after suffering a back injury.

The grandad said his daughter, Marcee Gray, 43, was also pulled into addiction, which ultimately cost her custody of Colt and the couple’s other children. But she remained committed to her kids, he insisted.

Christian Angulo was among those killed during the shooting. Picture: X

Mason Schermerhorn also lost his life. Picture: X

“She is a good person and a mum,” Polhamus said. “But I’m back to what I said about narcissists: They can change anybody.

“Marcee never did anything to Colt,” he added. “All she did is help him out.”

Marcee Gray has a lengthy rap sheet full of drug and domestic-violence arrests.

A former neighbour told The Post last week, “There were nights where the mum would lock him and his sister out the house.

“And they would be banging on the back door, just screaming like, ‘Mum! mum! mum!’ and crying. It was absolutely devastating,” the woman said, adding Colt would come to her back door at other times dressed in filthy clothes begging for food.

Math teacher Richard Aspinwall was killed in the shooting. Picture: X

Teacher Christina Irimie also lost her life in the shooting. Picture: X

Colt lived with his father by the time of the shooting.

Marcee Grey told The Post on Saturday that she was devastated by her son’s allegedly actions.

“It’s horrible,” she said at her father’s home about three hours from Atlanta.

“It’s absolutely horrible.”

The distraught mum flew into a panic Wednesday morning when she received a troubling text from her son, with the teen writing, “I’m sorry mum.”

”She desperately called Apalachee High School to report an “extreme emergency,” but it was too late.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Grandpa of accused school shooter says teen’s ‘evil’ father should get death penalty for provoking massacre