Father of Georgia Apalachee school shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison

Key Points:

• Colin Gray, 55, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter for providing the gun his son used in a deadly school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
• Gray’s son, Colt, 16, opened fire at the school in September 2024, killing four people and injuring nine others; Colt was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
• The judge criticized Colin Gray for failing as a parent and emphasized that warning signs about Colt’s mental state and access to firearms were ignored, leading to the tragedy.
• The case highlights increasing legal accountability of parents in school shootings, similar to the 2021 Oxford High School shooting where parents were also sentenced for providing a firearm to their son.
• Family members of the victims and the prosecutor stressed that Colin Gray’s decision to gift and allow access to the rifle directly contributed to the shooting, underscoring the importance of parental responsibility in preventing such incidents.