‘I Grieve and Cry with You': Mother of Georgia School Shooting Suspect Apologizes to Victims' Families, Insists Son 'Not a Monster'

The mother of a Georgia teen accused of killing two teachers and two classmates during a mass shooting last week has written a letter apologizing to the victims’ families, writing that her son “is not a monster.”

In a letter provided to CNN, Marcee Gray said she would “never forgive herself for what has happened.”

According to authorities, last Christmas, Colin Gray gave his son, Colt Gray, an assault rifle — the same assault rifle Colt Gray is accused of using in the mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4 that left two students and two teachers dead.

The victims in the mass shooting were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. Nine other people — eight students and one teacher — were wounded in the attack.

In her letter, Marcee Gray wrote, “To the parents and families of those affected by the tragic events at Apalachee High School, I want to say that I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart.”

“If I could take the place of Mason and Christian, I would without a second thought,” she continued. “As a parent, I’ve always said that the loss of one of my children would be the only thing that I wouldn’t be able to come back from. I feel all of your pain and devastation. I grieve and cry with you.”

She also noted that her “heart breaks for the 2 teachers who gave their lives while in the service of teaching and protecting our children.”

“My son Colt is not a monster,” she insisted in the letter. “He is my oldest baby. He is quiet, thoughtful, caring, funny, and extremely intelligent. Please pray for him and the rest of our family, as I am praying for all of you every moment of every day.”

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Colt Gray was charged with four counts of murder and will be tried as an adult. He faces up to life in prison if found guilty. Since he is younger than 18 years old, the judge informed him he will not face the death penalty if convicted.

The suspected shooter's father, Colin Gray, was also arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children after the deadly attack. If convicted of all charges, he faces up to 180 years in prison.

Both are being held without bond.