Father of murdered high school senior says he's ready to forgive accused killer

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The father of a high school senior police say was gunned down by a freshman after an argument at school this week says he is ready to forgive the accused shooter.

Phildarious Parrish, 18, was shot on Lakewater View Drive in Stone Mountain on Thursday. A 15-year-old freshman has been charged with murder in Parrish's death.

Police said Parrish was shot inside the freshman's house after a fight at Stephenson High School earlier in the week. The shooter has not been identified.

Channel 2's Michael Seiden spent over an hour with Parrish's grieving family and talked to his father about the tragic loss of his son. Phillip Parrish said there are few words to describe his pain.

"You have to wake up thinking in your mind, you have to erase something that's always been there," Parrish said. "That's not easy to do."

Still, Parrish said he doesn't have any animosity toward the accused shooter, a freshman classmate of his son.

"Why would I be mad with a baby?" Parrish asked. "Babies make mistakes. It's that father's responsibility to raise that baby. And he didn't fail me. Because his son's got to reap what he sowed."

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DeKalb County Schools said in a statement that a fight broke out involving four or five boys after school in the bus lane.

The fight led to multiple suspensions, including Phildarious and the accused shooter.

The day after the fight, Phildarious and two of his friends went to the 15-year-old's house. Parrish said his son wasn't looking for a fight.

“He was already telling them that there was not any more beef, not knowing that one or the guys he was with was (talking) with the older brother," Parrish said.

Police said the 15-year-old's father and older brother watched as the teen fired the deadly shots.

Now, Parrish, a father of four, is forced to bury his youngest son.

“By that man not standing up and saying, 'Get out of my yard,’ he allowed his son to just go and shoot another kid," Parrish said.

Parrish said he has seen the video of the fight, and it's clear to him that his son was not the aggressor, but was trying to defend himself.

Phildarious Parrish was just months away from graduating and was planning on becoming a small business owner.

Cox Media Group