A Georgia jury found a father criminally responsible on Tuesday for the actions of his teenage son who, while armed with an AR-15-type rifle that had been stored inside his home, allegedly shot and killed two schoolmates and two teachers.
The Barrow County panel found Colin Gray, 55, guilty of all charges, which included second-degree murder and cruelty to children, related until the September 4, 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.
The alleged gunman, Colt Gray, is accused of using the firearm his father should have obtained to carry out the massacre about 45 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
The younger Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, remains in custody and a trial date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors accused Colin Gray of ignoring his son’s warning signs of possible violence and allowing him access to the high-capacity weapon used at Apalachee High School.
The four dead were Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Cristian Angulo, 14; Richard Aspinwall, 39 years old; and Cristina IrimÃa, 53 years old.
“Christian acted and became a hero,” Barrow County Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Brooks told jurors in her closing arguments.
“He tried to push the shooter out of his classroom, and when he was shot, Christian’s last act on this earth was to close the door to his classroom to protect his friends.”
Colin Gray, testifying on his own behalf, recounted incidents in which his son felt bullied at school and occasionally showed signs of anger.
Still, the father told jurors he never considered Colt Gray to be a violent threat.
“I never thought he would even think of bringing a gun to school or doing any kind of harm to someone else. Well, someone at school,” the elder Gray told the jury.
The prosecution of a father because his son committed a school shooting has precedent.
James Crumbley and his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit by their son Ethan Crumbley.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
