Georgia father sentenced to 15 years for providing rifle used in high school shooting
Colin Gray received a 15-year prison term after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for giving his 14-year-old son the assault rifle used in the September 4, 2024 Apalachee High School attack.
A Winder, Ga., jury convicted Colin Gray in March on multiple counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, for providing the assault rifle his son used in the September 4, 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School. On Thursday, Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced Gray to 15 years in prison, noting the need to balance the father’s failure to act with the crimes committed by his son. > "I don’t get to sentence with passion. I have the nearly impossible task of sentencing you without passion, despite the immeasurable heartache that you’ve caused," Primm said.
Prosecutors said Gray gave the weapon to his son despite a prior police visit after the teenager threatened to target an elementary school. The shooter, now 16, was sentenced to life without parole for killing two students and two teachers and wounding ten others. Victims’ families testified, urging the maximum penalty for Gray. One teacher’s wife described Gray’s conduct as a failure to be a responsible gun owner. Gray’s attorney argued for a ten-year term, describing it as a severe punishment for a parent who did not intend to harm anyone. Prosecutor Brad Smith emphasized that Gray ignored a substantial risk by providing the firearm, directly enabling the mass shooting.