Additional Coverage:
- Georgia father Colin Gray found guilty in connection with school shooting his son is accused of (nbcnews.com)
Father Found Criminally Responsible for Son’s School Shooting in Georgia
Winder, GA – In a rare and significant move, a Georgia jury on Tuesday found Colin Gray, 55, criminally responsible for actions attributed to his son, who is accused of carrying out a mass shooting at Apalachee High School on September 4, 2024. The verdict marks a pivotal moment in legal precedent, holding a parent accountable for their child’s violent acts.
The Barrow County panel found Gray guilty on all 27 charges, including second-degree murder and cruelty to children. His son, Colt Gray, faces charges for the shooting itself, which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers with an AR-15-style rifle kept in the family home.
This conviction echoes a similar case from 2021, where James and Jennifer Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with their son Ethan Crumbley’s deadly shooting at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit. Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith highlighted the impact of the Michigan case, noting that Colt Gray’s mother had cited it when she urged her husband to restrict their son’s access to firearms prior to the 2024 tragedy.
“We hope that [this conviction] moves the needle a little further,” Smith told reporters. “I think you saw in this case that the mother actually reviewed what happened in Michigan… and she then, as a result of that, asked her husband to remove the weapons. It could have ended this tragedy.”
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before delivering its unanimous guilty verdicts. Gray, dressed in a blue sport coat and khaki pants, showed no visible emotion as the verdicts were read. He was subsequently handcuffed and escorted out by court security.
Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm has not yet set a sentencing date, stating that numerous individuals need to be notified and have the right to appear. Gray faces a potential sentence of up to 243 years behind bars. Defense attorneys declined to comment to reporters following the proceedings.
Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray disregarded clear warning signs of his son’s potential for violence and allowed him access to the high-capacity weapon used in the attack, which occurred approximately 45 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Jurors were presented with images from Colt’s bedroom, including pictures of school shooter Nikolas Cruz, who was responsible for the 2018 Parkland, Florida, shooting.
The victims of the Apalachee High School shooting were identified as Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Christian Angulo, 14; Richard Aspinwall, 39; and Cristina Irimie, 53.
During his testimony, Colin Gray recounted instances of his son being bullied at school and exhibiting occasional fits of rage. However, he maintained that he never perceived his son as a violent threat.
“I never thought that he would even have a thought process of bringing a gun to school or doing any kind of harm to anybody else. Well, on anybody at school,” Gray told jurors.
Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, remains in custody, and a trial date for his charges has not yet been established.