Marcee reportedly told her sister, “I was the one who notified the school counselor at the high school.” “I told them to go immediately find my son and check on him, as it was an extreme emergency.”
Despite her desperate attempts to stop the tragedy, it was too late. As Marcee rushed to Winder, about three hours away, she learned halfway through her drive that two students and two teachers had been killed. “It’s horrible. It’s absolutely horrible,” Marcee said, visibly devastated when spotted later that day.
Colt’s grandfather, Charles Polhamus, while talking about the tragedy expressed his sorrow while also bringing up unresolved family issues. “Collie [Colin] Gray will burn in hell for what he did to his family. That’s a fact,” Polhamus stated, charging Colt’s father with putting his grandson in an unstable situation. He talked about how Marcee was devastated to hear the news and how the mysterious letter made her stress even more.
According to Polhamus, school officials searched for Colt, but a case of mistaken identity led them to another student with a similar name, just minutes before the shooting began.
Family issues
The Gray family had been dealing with internal conflicts long before the shooting. Colt’s mother, Marcee, struggled with substance abuse, and their family faced instability. According to Charles Polhamus, Colt’s father, Colin, played a significant role in Marcee’s addiction and the family’s overall turmoil. Marcee had even been arrested for vandalizing her ex-husband’s truck and faced drug-related charges in the past.
Father’s influence
Colin Gray’s influence on Colt was not limited to family troubles. Authorities revealed that Colin had given his son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift, the same weapon used in the shooting. Colin Gray, who has also been charged in connection to the incident, allegedly denied knowing about any threats his son made but admitted they spent time shooting and hunting together.