Father of Georgia School shooter sentenced to 15 years

The father of a teenager who carried out a deadly school shooting in the U.S. state of Georgia has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of murder, manslaughter and related offences.

Colin Gray, 55, was found guilty in March over his role in the 2024 attack at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which claimed the lives of two teachers and two students.

His 16-year-old son, Colt Gray, pleaded guilty to the killings last week. Investigators said the AR-style rifle used in the attack had been given to him by his father as a Christmas gift.

Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray was the one person who could have stopped the tragedy from occurring.

The victims of the shooting were 14-year-old Christian Angulo, 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn, teacher Richard Aspinwall, 39, and teacher Cristina Irimie, 53.

According to CBS News, Colin Gray is the third parent in the United States to be held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child.

On Thursday, Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced Gray to 15 years for each second-degree murder conviction and 10 years for each involuntary manslaughter conviction, with all sentences to run concurrently.

Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence of 80 years in prison, while the defence requested a reduced sentence of 10 years.

Before delivering the sentence, Judge Primm criticised Gray for failing to seek mental health support for his son, monitor his online activities and properly secure firearms in the home.

“It is clear you failed as a parent,” the judge said, adding that there were repeated warning signs that went unaddressed.

At the same time, Judge Primm acknowledged that Colin Gray neither intended to harm anyone nor personally carried out the shooting.

During the trial, jurors heard that Gray purchased the rifle for his son despite the teenager having been questioned by police months earlier over online threats about a possible school shooting.

Prosecutors also presented evidence that the father ignored several warning signs, including a notebook in which his son allegedly outlined plans to kill students and teachers.

They argued that rather than restricting his son’s access to firearms, Gray provided him with the weapon used in the attack.

The defence, however, maintained that responsibility lay solely with Colt Gray, arguing that he independently chose to carry out the shooting.

The case is one of a growing number in the United States in which parents have faced criminal charges over school shootings committed by their children.

In 2024, the parents of a Michigan teenager who fatally shot four students were also convicted after buying him the gun used in the attack, marking the first such prosecution of its kind in the country.

Source: BBC