A Georgia father has been found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges related to a mass shooting at a high school carried out by his teenage son. Colin Gray, 54, was convicted on more than two dozen charges following roughly two weeks of testimony and just a few hours of jury deliberation.
Gray had faced 29 counts including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless conduct. Under Georgia law, second-degree murder in this case was defined as causing the death of a child through the crime of cruelty to children. Gray had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The charges stem from a shooting at Apalachee High School on September 4, 2024, in which four people were killed and nine others were wounded. Prosecutors argued that Gray displayed criminal negligence by providing his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, with access to a firearm and ammunition after receiving warnings that his son posed a danger to others.
The four victims were identified as teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. An additional teacher and eight students were injured in the attack.
Colt Gray is accused of carrying out the shooting with an assault-style rifle. He faces 55 counts, including four counts of malice murder and four counts of felony murder, and is being prosecuted as an adult. He has also pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Colin Gray will be sentenced at a later date and faces up to 30 years in prison. His attorneys are likely to appeal the conviction.
This case reflects a growing trend of holding parents criminally accountable for school shootings carried out by their children. Earlier in 2024, the parents of a Michigan high school student who shot and killed four students were both found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.
The conviction of Colin Gray represents a significant legal moment in addressing parental responsibility in school shooting cases. Prosecutors presented evidence establishing that Gray had been warned of potential danger from his son before providing him access to weapons. The relatively swift jury decision to convict on multiple serious charges suggests the evidence of his negligence was persuasive.
The case has drawn national attention as communities grapple with questions about gun access, parental oversight, and accountability for mass violence. The dual prosecutions of both father and son extend criminal responsibility beyond the individual shooter to family members whose actions or inaction may have enabled the attack.