Apalachee High School Shooting: Colin Gray Found Guilty of Murder

A jury found that Colin Gray, the father of the suspect, bore criminal responsibility for the attack at a Georgia school by failing to heed warnings of his son’s struggles.

The father of a teenage boy who is accused of a deadly mass shooting at his Georgia high school was found guilty on Tuesday of failing to heed warnings about his son and allowing him unfettered access to the powerful assault-style rifle used in the attack.

The jury deliberated only about two hours before concluding that the father, Colin Gray, 54, was guilty of more than two dozen charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, stemming from the attack on Sept. 4, 2024, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. Two students and two teachers were killed.

Prosecutors said that the father had given his son Colt Gray the AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift and then let him keep it in his bedroom. Mr. Gray did not take it away from him even as his behavior became more volatile and he showed signs of an obsession with school shooters, creating what was described as a shrine to one that hung on his wall.

Colt Gray was 14 at the time of the shooting and now faces 55 counts related to the attack, with prosecutors charging him as an adult. He pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The prosecution of the elder Mr. Gray was the first in Georgia against a parent whose child was accused of a mass shooting. The trial was closely watched as an early test of the approach, which has gained traction across the country in recent years.

The elder Mr. Gray looked ahead blankly, pursing his lips, as the verdict was read. Some in the courtroom quietly cried and held hands. If he receives the maximum penalty, Mr. Gray could spend the rest of his life in prison.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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