Georgia father sentenced to 15 years for providing gun used in Apalachee High School shooting
Colin Gray, 55, received a 15-year prison term after being convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter for giving his son the rifle used in the September 4 school shooting that killed four people.
A Georgia judge sentenced Colin Gray, 55, to 15 years in prison after a March conviction for second-degree murder and manslaughter tied to the September 4 shooting at Apalachee High School. The court found Gray responsible for providing his son, Colt Gray, 16, with a SIG Sauer rifle that the teenager used to kill two students and two teachers and wound several others. Colt was sentenced separately to life without parole.
Judge Nicholas Primm, who presided over both sentencing hearings, said Gray had failed to act on warning signs and did not remove the firearm from his son’s access. Prosecutors highlighted that Gray had gifted the rifle as a Christmas present and that family members had expressed concern about Colt’s mental health before the attack.
Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith noted that Colt had created a shrine to a previous school shooter, indicating a risk that Gray ignored. Victims’ families echoed the view that Gray’s failure to secure the gun contributed to the tragedy.
The case follows similar prosecutions of parents in Michigan, where Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced for their son’s 2021 Oxford High School shooting. Both judges emphasized the legal duty to prevent minors from obtaining firearms despite the emotional impact on the community.