In the aftermath of a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, that left four people dead and nine others injured, the 14-year-old suspect’s father, Colin Gray, 54, was arrested and charged with multiple counts, including involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Colin Gray had given his son, Colt Gray, an AR-15-style rifle as a gift, despite the teen previously being investigated for making threats of violence.
In May 2023, the FBI interviewed both the father and son following a tip-off about the teenager’s online threats of a school shooting. At the time, the teenager was not arrested due to insufficient evidence connecting him to the threats.
The charges against Colin Gray include four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. The GBI alleges that Gray knowingly allowed his son access to the firearm, which was used in the shooting that claimed the lives of two students and two teachers on the teen’s first full day at Apalachee High School.
The 14-year-old suspect, Colt Gray, has been charged with four counts of murder and is being prosecuted as an adult. Investigators have indicated that the teenager had shown interest in previous mass shootings, particularly the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The arrest of Colin Gray marks one of the rare instances in which the parent of a school shooter has been charged with such severe crimes.
Legal experts note similarities to the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, who were convicted in 2021 for their involvement in the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan, where their son killed four students.
The Crumbleys were tried and convicted separately of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and were jointly sentenced on April 9, 2024, to the maximum allowed: 15 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 10 years
However, the charges in the Gray case are more serious, reflecting the evolving legal response to gun violence in schools and the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history.
Law enforcement officials have also revealed that the FBI’s earlier investigation into the teen was ultimately closed because authorities could not definitively prove that he was behind the online threats. Despite this, the teenager’s mental health struggles had been reported by family members in the months leading up to the shooting, raising questions about missed opportunities for intervention.
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