A Georgia father was found guilty of murder Tuesday. Colin Gray bought his 14-year-old son an AR-15-style rifle. Months later, that boy used it to kill four people at Apalachee High School. The jury came back in less than two hours. They convicted him on all 27 charges.
At the defense table, Colin Gray didn’t move. He didn’t show emotion. Then deputies handcuffed him and led him out of the courtroom. He now faces decades behind bars.
Who is Colin Gray?
He’s the father of Colt Gray. Colt was 14 when he walked into his high school in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. He had the rifle his dad gave him hidden in his backpack. Four people died that day. Two teachers. Two students. Nine others were hurt.
Prosecutors said Colin Gray knew his son was struggling. They said he knew the boy was a danger. But he bought him the gun anyway. He left it unsecured. He let his son keep it in his bedroom. “That man and his son are both responsible,” prosecutor Patricia Brooks told the jury. “The blood is on their hands.”
What did the trial reveal?
For two weeks, the jury heard from people who lived through the shooting. Students testified. Teachers testified. They described the terror of that morning. The jury saw body-camera footage from May 2023. That’s when deputies showed up at the Gray home. The FBI had gotten a tip. Someone online threatened to shoot up a school. The threat came from Colt’s account.
Colt denied it. Deputies left. They couldn’t prove the threat was real. Later that year, Colin Gray bought his son the rifle.
The jury saw photos of Colt’s bedroom wall. There was a picture of Nikolas Cruz. Cruz killed 17 people at a Parkland, Florida, high school in 2018. They saw text messages Colt sent his father. One read: “Whenever something happens just know the blood is on YOUR hands.”
What did Colin Gray say in the trial?
He took the stand. He was the only witness his lawyers called. He cried as he talked about his son. “He’s a good kid,” Gray said. “He wasn’t perfect, nor was I. But to do something that heinous, I don’t know that anybody can see that kind of evil.”
Gray said he bought the rifle for bonding. He wanted to take his son hunting. He wanted them to spend time together at the shooting range. He said he didn’t know his son was capable of violence. “The Colt I knew,” he said, “there was this whole other side of Colt I didn’t know existed.” But on cross-examination, things got harder for him.
Yes, he admitted, the guns were stored in a closet. No locks. No safe. Yes, his son sometimes kept the rifle in his own room. Yes, he knew his son had been physically violent. Yes, he knew about the school shooter picture on the wall.
How did the shooting happen?
The morning of September 4, Colt Gray made comments at school. Worrisome comments. Staff went to find him. But there was a mix-up. There was another student named Kolton. They stopped the wrong kid. Colt went to the bathroom. He came out with the rifle.He fired into a math classroom. He fired into the hallway.
Richard Aspinwall died. He was a teacher and a football coach. Cristina Irimie died. She taught math. Mason Schermerhorn died. He was 14. Christian Angulo died. He was 14. Nine others were hurt before it was over.
What happens now?
Colin Gray will be sentenced later. Each murder charge carries 10 to 30 years. Each manslaughter charge carries one to 10 years. His son, Colt, is now 16. He has pleaded not guilty to 55 charges. Four of them are malice murder. A trial date hasn’t been set.
This case is only the second of its kind in America. The first was in Michigan. The Crumbleys. Their son killed four students at Oxford High School in 2021. A jury found them guilty too.
FAQs
Q. What did the jury decide?
A. They found Colin Gray guilty of everything. Two counts of second-degree murder. Two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Eighteen counts of cruelty to children. Five counts of reckless conduct.
Q. How long will he be in prison?
A. That’s up to the judge. He could get 10 to 30 years for each murder count. He could get one to 10 years for each manslaughter count. The judge will decide at a later hearing.
Q. Did his son confess?
Yes. Authorities say Colt Gray admitted to the shooting. He’s been in custody since that day.
Q. Why was the father charged?
A. Prosecutors said he was criminally negligent. They said he knew his son was a threat but bought him a gun anyway. They said he didn’t lock it up. They said he ignored warning signs.
Q. Is this the first time a parent faced charges like this?
A. No. James and Jennifer Crumbley were convicted in Michigan in 2024. Their son killed four students at Oxford High School. This is the second case of its kind in the country.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
