A man arrested Thursday for weapons possession on a charter school campus in Cherokee County suffers from a brain tumor, according to his family.
Deputies spotted a man with long hair and dressed in black in a parking lot of the Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton Wednesday morning.
Authorities said he ran when officers attempted to question him. Following his capture, officers discovered the suspect had a BB handgun and three knives in his possession.
Authorities charged Todd Grigg, 31, with four counts of illegal weapons possession on school property and obstruction.
On Thursday, his family said Grigg was at the school campus to meet his mother for a ride to Emory University Hospital where he was scheduled to undergo a brain scan for a tumor on his left frontal lobe. His mother said he was never a threat to students or staff.
"Todd was not going toward the school. He was not going to hurt anybody. He was going to go to the doctors," said Karen Grigg.
Grigg told Channel 2's Tom Regan she did not know her son was carrying weapons. The suspect's brother, whose children attend the charter school, drove him to the campus to meet with his mother, who has grandchildren enrolled at the academy.
"I saw Todd and pointed that the car was down here. By the time I crossed the street, all of this was starting to unfold," Grigg said, describing the scene to Channel 2's Tom Regan.
The defendant's brother said the brain tumor has affected Grigg's reasoning and judgment and that he may not have known it was illegal to have weapons on the campus.
"He's on disability. He has this brain tumor that affects every aspect of his life. It's been three years and it's growing," said John Grigg.
Authorities said the defendant told investigators the weapons were for self-defense. They believe he ran away because he knew he would be in trouble for carrying the weapons on school property.
"I certainly see what she is saying about the brain tumor and health issues. It is what it is. The fact is he was on school property with these weapons the day after an event in DeKalb County. It's just unreal," said Cherokee Lt. Col Ron Hutton.
Grigg appeared Thursday afternoon before a magistrate judge, who set bond at $10,000.
About the Author
