Georgia father Colin Gray found guilty in son’s alleged deadly school shooting
Georgia father Colin Gray found guilty in son’s alleged deadly school shooting
Verdict in mass shooting case marks first-time parent accountability
On Tuesday, a Georgia jury took an unusual step by convicting Colin Gray, 55, for his son’s actions in a school shooting. The father was found guilty of second-degree murder and cruelty to children, stemming from the Sept. 4, 2024, incident at Apalachee High School in Winder. His 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, is accused of using an AR-15-style rifle stored at home to fatally shoot two classmates and two teachers.
“We hope that (this conviction) moves the needle a little further,” said Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith. “I think you saw in this case that the mother actually reviewed what happened in Michigan … and she then, as a result of that, asked her husband to remove the weapons,” Smith added. “It could have ended this tragedy. So Michigan was able to move the needle to the point that almost stopped this tragedy,” he noted. “How many tragedies it did stop? We hope we move the needle a little further.”
The jury deliberated for under two hours before delivering the verdict. Colin Gray, clad in a blue sport coat and khaki pants, remained composed as the guilty findings were announced. After confirming the convictions, he was handcuffed and escorted from the courtroom by security. Judge Nicholas Primm delayed sentencing, stating there were “a lot of people that need to be notified and have a right to appear.”
Colin Gray faces up to 243 years in prison. His defense team declined to address media inquiries upon exiting the courthouse. The younger Gray, who allegedly used the unsecured firearm, remains in custody with no trial date yet scheduled.
Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray failed to recognize his son’s violent tendencies, allowing access to the high-capacity weapon. Jurors viewed images of Colt’s bedroom, which included photographs of school shooter Nikolas Cruz. Cruz, responsible for the 2018 Parkland massacre, killed 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The victims in Georgia were Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Christian Angulo, 14; Richard Aspinwall, 39; and Cristina Irimie, 53. Colin Gray, testifying on his own behalf, described his son’s experiences of bullying and occasional outbursts. Yet he insisted he never viewed Colt as a threat. “I never thought that he would even have a thought process of bringing a gun to school or doing any kind of harm to anybody else. Well, on anybody at school,” the older Gray told jurors.
