A Georgia court has sentenced Colin Gray, the father of the Apalachee High School shooter, to 15 years in prison after finding him responsible for providing the assault-style rifle his teenage son used in the deadly 2024 school shooting. The case has drawn national attention because of the rare decision to hold a parent criminally accountable for a mass shooting carried out by their child.
Prosecutors told the court that Gray gave the rifle to his son, Colt Gray, as a Christmas gift despite repeated warning signs about the teenager’s troubling behavior and fascination with school shootings. They argued that the tragedy could have been prevented if the firearm had not been made available to him. On September 4, 2024, the then-14-year-old Colt Gray used the rifle to open fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
The attack claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, while nine other people were injured, leaving the school community devastated. During the sentencing hearing, victims’ families described the lasting pain caused by the shooting and urged the court to hold Colin Gray accountable. The judge ruled that his actions and failure to prevent his son from accessing the weapon contributed to the deadly attack.
Earlier this week, Colt Gray, now 16, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including murder. The sentencing of both father and son marks one of the most significant legal cases in the United States involving parental responsibility for a school shooting.
Community members gather at a memorial outside Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, to honor the victims of the 2024 school shooting.
