“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,” Marcee Gray, the mother of Colt Gray, wrote in the letter, which she provided first to CNN.
“If I could take the place of Mason and Christian, I would without a second thought,” Marcee Gray wrote, referring to the two 14-year-olds killed in the mass shooting, later adding her “heart breaks for the two teachers who gave their lives while in the service of teaching and protecting our children”.
“We are all in a living nightmare right now, and I will personally never forgive myself for what has happened,” she wrote.
“My son Colt is not a monster. 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.”
CNN is reaching out to victims’ families for comment on the letter.
Over the past week, revelations about a call between Marcee Gray and the school prior to the attack have raised questions about efforts by school officials and law enforcement to prevent the shooting.
Marcee Gray received a text the morning of the shooting from her son that read, “I’m sorry, mom”, the suspect’s grandfather previously told CNN.
Marcee Gray’s father, Charles Polhamus, told CNN she spoke with a school counsellor for about 10 minutes.
“I don’t understand what took them so long.”