US father found guilty of murder in Apalachee school shooting in Georgia 

The father of a school shooter in the United States has been convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for his son’s attack on Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024.

A jury in the southern state returned the verdict on Tuesday after less than two hours of deliberation.

The father, Colin Gray, was found guilty on all charges. His son, Colt Gray, was 14 years old when he opened fire in the high school he attended, killing two students and two teachers and injuring seven others.

Colin Gray’s case is the latest instance of a parent facing prison time for alleged negligence in the lead-up to a school shooting.

His conviction follows a pair of guilty verdicts in 2024 for the parents of another school shooter, Jennifer and James Crumbley, who were charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors in the Georgia case accused Gray of enabling his son’s attack on the high school by providing access to a gun and ammunition.

Among the charges against Gray were two counts of second-degree murder for the killings of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14.

Georgia law allows for second-degree murder charges in cases where alleged cruelty to children causes the death of a child.

In addition, Gray was convicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the killings of the two teachers, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. He was also found guilty of reckless conduct.

Gray will face up to life in prison. His sentence is expected to be set at a later date.

His defence team, however, argued that Gray should not be held accountable for the actions of his teenage son, and that his son alone made the decision to carry out the school shooting.

His lawyers also described Gray as a struggling single dad, caring for three children.

Gray himself testified that, until the shooting took place, he did not believe his son capable of carrying out such violence.

“I could have done better,” he told the court when asked about his son’s mental health.

But the father denied seeing warning signs in advance of the shooting, and he explained that he had told his son that the gun was solely for outings to the shooting range or hunting.

Gray had pleaded not guilty before Tuesday’s conviction.

But prosecutors argued Gray ignored red flags before the attack, including his son’s increasing fascination with past school shootings.

They maintained that, as a father, Gray had a responsibility to keep guns out of his son’s hands and prevent harm from occurring, particularly as his son faced mental health challenges.

“We talk a lot about rights in our country,” Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said following the verdict.

“But God gave us a duty to protect our children, and I hope that we remember that, as parents, as community members, to protect our children because that is our God-given duty.”

Colt Gray’s mother, Marcee Gray also testified in court that she had urged Colin Gray to take away the teenager’s guns in the lead-up to the shooting.

She and Colin Gray had been separated at the time, and she was not charged in relation to the attack.

Gray reportedly gave his son a semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle for Christmas. Shortly before Colt Gray opened fire at Apalachee High School, the 14-year-old texted his father, “I’m sorry, it’s not ur fault.” He also texted his mother an apology.

Colt Gray faces 55 counts in a separate criminal trial, including malice murder and felony murder. He has pleaded not guilty.