Colin Gray, father of Georgia high school shooter, charged with murder, manslaughter and child abuse

Colin Gray, the father of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old accused of firing a fatal shot at Georgia's Apalachee High School, has been charged in connection with the attack, which left two teachers and two students dead and sparked a national debate about parental responsibility in cases of gun violence against minors. Authorities have charged 54-year-old Colin Gray with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of child abuse, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

The charges were announced following the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School on September 4, 2024, in which Colt Gray allegedly used an AR-style weapon to open fire. The attack left students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, dead. Eight other students and one teacher were injured in the incident. Colt Gray is currently charged with four counts of murder, with the GBI indicating that additional charges are likely.

GBI Director Chris Hosey said at a press conference that the charges against Colin Gray are directly related to his son's access to the gun used in the attack. “These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a gun,” Hosey said. He highlighted the growing trend of holding parents accountable when they fail to secure firearms that their children later use in violent acts. Colin Gray is being held without bail at the Barrow County Detention Center.

This case is part of a broader movement to prosecute parents whose children commit gun violence. Earlier this year, the parents of a 15-year-old Michigan student who killed four classmates were convicted of manslaughter. Jennifer and James Crumbley were each sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison after it was revealed that they had purchased the gun used in the attack for their son despite warning signs of his violent intentions. Legal experts say this growing trend could lead to more parents in similar situations facing legal consequences.

Nick Suplina, senior vice president of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, stressed the importance of holding parents accountable in these tragic cases. He said the Grays' actions devastated the Apalachee High School community. “The Crumbleys' case shows that parents can – and should – be held accountable when they disregard public safety,” Suplina said. He criticized Colin Gray for allowing his son access to a “weapon of war” and ignoring prior warnings.

In the year before the shooting, the FBI received tips that Colt Gray had been making threats online. Authorities interviewed the teenager and his father but concluded there was insufficient probable cause to arrest him at the time. Colin Gray had assured investigators that while he owned hunting weapons, they were not accessible to his son. But this incident raises the question of whether parents should be more vigilant about securing firearms in their homes, especially when there are warning signs of potential violence.

The Apalachee High School shooting is not an isolated incident. In Highland Park, Illinois, a father pleaded guilty after his son killed seven people at an Independence Day parade on July 4, 2022. In Virginia, the mother of a 6-year-old boy was sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect after her son shot and killed his first-grade teacher. These cases illustrate a pattern of litigation against parents whose children commit violent acts with firearms.

Adam Winkler, a law professor and gun policy expert, noted that the precedent these cases set could encourage more prosecutors to bring charges against parents in similar situations. “There was reason to be concerned that the child had access to firearms,” ​​Winkler said, referring to the previous police visit to the Grays' household.

The impact of these court decisions extends beyond the courtroom. They send a clear message to gun owners about the importance of responsible firearm storage and the potential consequences of negligence. As more cases emerge, the focus on parental responsibility in gun violence involving minors will likely continue to grow, sparking further debates about gun owner responsibility and public safety.

The Apalachee High School community continues to mourn the loss of its students and teachers as authorities attempt to piece together the events that led to this tragedy. The charges against Colin Gray underscore the seriousness of failing to secure firearms and the potential consequences that extend beyond the perpetrators themselves. This case could set a new standard for legal action against parents in similar cases across the country as it moves forward.