Dad of Georgia school shooter found criminally responsible

A Georgia jury on Tuesday found the father of an accused school shooter guilty of charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Colin Gray gifted his son, Colt, the gun investigators say he used in the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School northeast of Atlanta. Colin Gray was arrested shortly after the shooting, one day after his then-14-year-old son was taken into custody. Colt Gray has pleaded not guilty to charges he killed two students and two teachers, and additionally wounded nine other people. Colin Gray is the latest of about a half-dozen parents to be criminally convicted for shootings allegedly carried out by their children.

District Attorney Brad Smith told WAGA-TV in Atlanta that Colin Gray failed to show common sense in not securing firearms even after local law enforcement visited the home to express concern about his son. Also, his son had posted a photo of another school shooter on his bedroom wall, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified at trial.

How will Colin Gray be sentenced? He faces 10-30 years for the most serious charge, second-degree murder, according to the Associated Press. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Smith, the district attorney, said he had not yet decided what sentence to ask the judge for but hoped to consult with the victims’ families first. Georgia Public Broadcasting reported it’s likely that Colin Gray’s attorneys will appeal the conviction.

Dig Deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s story from 2024 about the shooting.