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
A jury in Barrow County convicted Colin Gray, 55, of all charges tied to the Sept. 4, 2024, mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The father was held accountable for his son Colt Gray’s actions, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers using an AR-15-style rifle stored at their home.
Precedent in Parental Prosecution
This marks the first time a parent has been criminally charged for their child’s school shooting in Georgia. The case echoes the 2021 trial of James and Jennifer Crumbley, who were convicted of involuntary manslaughter after their son Ethan Crumbley killed 14 people at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit. Colt Gray’s mother referenced the Michigan case when she argued for restricting her son’s access to firearms prior to the 2024 incident.
“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,” he added. “It could have ended this tragedy. So Michigan was able to move the needle to the point that almost stopped this tragedy,” Smith noted. “How many tragedies it did stop? We hope we move the needle a little further.”
Jury Deliberation and Conviction
The jury reached its decision swiftly, deliberating for under two hours before convicting Gray on all 27 charges. During the verdict, he displayed no visible emotion, remaining composed as court security escorted him from the courtroom in handcuffs. Judge Nicholas Primm postponed sentencing to allow notification of affected parties and their opportunity to attend the proceedings.
Testimony and Defense Arguments
Colin Gray testified on his own behalf, describing his son’s experiences of bullying at school and occasional outbursts of anger. However, he maintained that Colt was not a danger to others. “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,” Gray told jurors, emphasizing his belief that his son posed no threat to schoolmates.
Victims and Current Status
The victims of the shooting included 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, as well as 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and 53-year-old Cristina Irimie. Colt Gray, 14 at the time, remains in custody, with no trial date yet set. Prosecutors argued that Gray failed to address his son’s violent tendencies and allowed access to the high-capacity weapon used in the attack.
Senior Breaking News Reporter Dan Gallo is an NBC News field producer based in Atlanta. Aaron Gilchrist is a national correspondent for NBC News.
