Georgia father Colin Gray found guilty in son’s alleged deadly school shooting
Georgia Father Colin Gray Convicted in Son’s School Shooting Tragedy
A Georgia jury on Tuesday delivered an uncommon verdict, convicting Colin Gray, 55, of charges tied to his son’s alleged mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. The father was found guilty of second-degree murder and cruelty to children, stemming from the Sept. 4, 2024, incident in which his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, is accused of fatally shooting two classmates and two teachers with an AR-15-style rifle stored at their home.
This case follows a similar legal precedent set in 2021, when James and Jennifer Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for their son Ethan Crumbley’s attack at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit. The Crumbley case became a focal point for Colt Gray’s mother, who reportedly cited it during the trial, urging her husband to restrict the son’s access to firearms. Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith highlighted this reference, stating,
“We hope that (this conviction) moves the needle a little further.”
Smith noted that the mother had studied the Michigan case and requested the removal of weapons from the home, a step that could have prevented the tragedy.
The jury deliberated for under two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all 27 charges. Colin Gray displayed no visible emotion as the verdicts were announced, later being handcuffed and escorted from the courtroom by security. Judge Nicholas Primm postponed sentencing, explaining,
“There are a lot of people that need to be notified and have a right to appear.”
The father faces up to 243 years in prison.
Colt Gray, who remains in custody, is accused of using a high-capacity rifle his father should have secured. The four victims include Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Richard Aspinwall, and Cristina Irimie. During his testimony, Colin Gray described his son’s experiences of bullying and occasional outbursts of anger but insisted he never viewed Colt as a threat to others at school.
“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 in his son’s innocence. The defense team declined to comment on the case as they left the courthouse. Senior Breaking News Reporter Dan Gallo and national correspondent Aaron Gilchrist covered the event from Atlanta.
