Georgia father sentenced for murder after son’s school shooting
Colin Gray was convicted of murder and manslaughter for providing an unsecured AR-15-style rifle to his son, who killed four people at Apalachee High School, and was sentenced this week.
A Barrow County judge sentenced Colin Gray on Thursday after a jury found him guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, 18 counts of cruelty to children and five counts of reckless conduct. Prosecutors said Gray’s purchase of an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift for his son and his failure to secure the weapon contributed directly to the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where four people were killed and nine injured.
Gray’s attorney, Brian Hobbs, indicated the conviction will be appealed, while Gray declined to speak at the sentencing hearing. The sentencing follows the life-without-parole sentence handed to his son, Colt Gray, who pleaded guilty to 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder, earlier in the week.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of unsecured firearms in a bedroom closet, text messages from Colt indicating violent intent, and testimony that the family had been warned about the teen’s behavior. The defense argued Gray was unaware of his son’s plans and had arranged counseling for him, but the jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict on all charges.
Victims’ families addressed the court, expressing anger toward Gray for what they described as neglect. "He made a choice to buy that rifle, he made a choice to ignore every red flag," said Ismael Angulo, whose brother was killed in the attack. The case is the first in Georgia to convict a parent of a school shooter of murder, marking a broader legal effort to hold parents accountable for juvenile mass-shooting incidents.