A Georgia jury found the father of a teenage school shooter guilty of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday. Prosecutors said he gave his son the rifle used in the 2024 attack at Apalachee High School, which killed four people.
Colin Gray, 55, was convicted on multiple counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. This case challenged how far prosecutors can hold parents accountable for their children’s crimes.
The Barrow County jury reached its verdict after about two hours of deliberation following a two-week trial. The trial focused on Gray’s actions before the shooting on September 4, 2024, in Winder, Georgia.
Authorities reported that Gray’s son, Colt Gray, then 14, opened fire inside the school, killing two students and two teachers while injuring nine others. The victims were students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray enabled the attack by giving his son an AR-style rifle for Christmas, despite clear signs the boy was struggling and showing violent behavior. Evidence during the trial included testimony that the teenager obsessed over past mass shootings and exhibited troubling behavior before the incident.
In less than two hours, a jury found Colin Gray guilty in relation to his son’s alleged school shooting massacre. The prosecution said that Gray provided the gun that his son, Colt Gray, allegedly used in the tragedy. Colin’s face appeared blank as the guilty verdicts were read. pic.twitter.com/UoqTIWy5T1
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) March 3, 2026
Investigators confirmed that the rifle used in the attack was the same one Colin Gray had purchased and given to his son months earlier.
Defense attorneys argued that the father could not have anticipated the violence. They claimed the boy carried out the shooting secretly, without his father’s knowledge. Defense lawyer Brian Hobbs told jurors that Colt Gray hid the planning and timing of the attack from his father.
During the trial, Gray testified in his defense and admitted he had made mistakes while insisting he never expected his son to commit a mass shooting. According to reports, Gray stated, “I could have done more.”
Prosecutors presented additional testimony from family members and investigators who outlined warning signs regarding the teenager’s mental state and behavior before the attack. Evidence showed that the boy had created a shrine to other school shooters in his bedroom and had violent outbursts at home and at school.
Under Georgia law, second-degree murder charges apply when a person causes a death while committing cruelty to children. Jurors determined that Gray’s actions met this standard in connection with the students’ deaths and convicted him of involuntary manslaughter in the teachers’ deaths.
Gray now faces a long prison sentence. Some reports suggest he could spend decades behind bars once sentencing occurs.
This case is part of a small but growing number of prosecutions targeting parents after school shootings by their children. Similar cases have arisen in several states in recent years as authorities consider whether adults who provide firearms to minors can be held criminally responsible for the violence that results.
Colt Gray, now 16, faces 55 criminal charges, including murder, and is expected to stand trial separately as an adult, according to court records and reports.
This is a landmark case that may have an impact on teens getting access to guns, as in many tragic scenarios, the training and weapons are provided by a parent. America stands apart in the number of mass shootings; in 2025, 420 people were killed, and 1,900 people were wounded in 425 shootings.
