Father of accused school shooter found guilty of second degree murder News
Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Father of accused school shooter found guilty of second degree murder

A Georgia jury found Colin Gray, father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, guilty of 29 charges tied to the shooting.

Colt Gray killed four people and wounded another nine others in the September 2024 school shooting. The case against father Colin Gray marks one of the first times a parent has been charged for their child’s crimes and school shooting violence.

Felony counts included involuntary manslaughter, second degree murder, and cruelty to children. Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray enabled his son to access and operate an AR-15 style weapon, which was used in the school shooting.

Prosecutors also pointed to Colt Gray violent tendencies and deteriorating mental state in the months leading up to the shooting. Prosecutors alleged that these incidents may have been a warning sign of the shooting, and Colin Gray could have intervened.

News outlets reported that the jury deliberated for less than two hours before delivering the unanimous guilty verdict. Gray has been ordered to be immediately incarcerated in the Barrow County Jail, with sentencing deferred to a later date. Colin Gray faces up to 180 years for all of the charges.

Colt Gray’s case in Barrow County, Georgia, is still pending as of December 2025.

“Our community has endured profound loss, heartache, and challenges since the 2024 tragedy at Apalachee High School. Yet alongside that pain, we have witnessed uplifting acts of kindness, unity, and remarkable strength,” said Apalachee School District in a statement released to news outlets. 

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