Brother of man arrested outside Mt. Pleasant preschool: ‘He is remorseful’

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - The brother of a man arrested Wednesday outside a Mount Pleasant preschool for allegedly alluding to a school shooting in his comments to a Carolina Park Academy employee says he is remorseful for his actions.

33-year-old Adam Gorlitsky said he hadn’t talked to his brother Michael yet, but his father spoke to him on Thursday, one day after the arrest.

“I know he called my dad yesterday and he was pretty much crying," Gorlitsky said. "He is remorseful. He’s one of those ‘stir the pot’ kind of kids.”

Adam also alluded to a history of mental health issues with his brother and added he doesn’t have a violent history.

“He has had a past history (of mental issues) for sure,” Gorlitsky said of his brother’s mental health. “We’ve been dealing with this for the past 10-plus years. So everybody’s outrage and concerns obviously we felt on a certain level over the past 10-plus years. I completely understand how everyone is feeling right now.”

Adam called his brother “cerebral" and said he is on the spectrum.

“He always kind of jokes,” Adam said. “If he was here right now with me talking, you would think he’s kind of like a funny normal person. Now obviously that changes once he’s outside people he’s comfortable with.”

He added that Michael has been seeking help and saw a therapist “a few days” prior to the arrest.

“We are dealing with it as a family." he said. "We are going to dig in and we are going to do a better job of getting him help.”

Mount Pleasant police chief Carl Ritchie also issued a statement on Friday morning thanking officers and the community for how the situation has been handled.