Father of accused Georgia school shooter convicted of murder

The 55-year-old gave his teenage son a rifle for Christmas a year before the deadly rampage. He is believed to be the first parent convicted of murder over a shooting carried out by their child.The father of a boy charged with shooting dead four people at a high school in the US state of Georgia was found guilty of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday.

Jurors took less than two hours to convict Colin Gray, 55, over the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

He was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students — Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo — and of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie

Colin Gray sits in court — Colin Gray, who took the stand in his own defense, said he never imagined his son would carry out a shootingImage: Abbey Cutrer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP Photo/picture alliance

The father of a boy charged with shooting dead four people at a high school in the US state of Georgia was found guilty of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday.

Jurors took less than two hours to convict Colin Gray, 55, over the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

Law enforcement arrive at Apalachee High School — Colt Gray is accused of killing four people and wounding nine others at Apalachee High SchoolImage: Erin Clark/AP/picture alliance

What happened during the trial?

During the 11-day trial, prosecutors told the court that Colin Gray armed and enabled his son Colt, who was 14 at the time, by giving him a rifle as a Christmas present despite the boy’s deteriorating mental health.

“This case is about this defendant and his actions, allowing a child that he has custody over access to a firearm and ammunition after being warned that that child was going to harm others,” Barrow County district attorney Brad Smith said.

According to the FBI, sheriffs interviewed Colt Gray and his father in May 2023 — more than a year before the shooting — after receiving anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting.

Prosecutors said Colin Gray ignored warning signs, including that his son maintained a shrine to school shooters and acted violently at home.

Defense attorney Brian Hobbs told the jury that Colin Gray, who pleaded not guilty, was unaware of his son’s intentions and had sought help for his mental health challenges. He said he was only trying to be a good father and never imagined Colt would carry out the attack.