Nationwide — Colin Gray, a father from Winder, Georgia, who gave his teenage son the rifle used in the deadly Apalachee High School shooting, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. A jury convicted him of failing to prevent the 2024 attack that killed four people and injured several others.
Gray was found guilty in March of charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said he gave his son, Colt Gray, an assault rifle as a Christmas gift even after authorities had been warned about the teenager’s concerning behavior.
Months before the shooting, law enforcement had visited the Gray family’s home after reports that Colt had made threats about carrying out a school shooting. Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray failed to get his son counseling or remove the firearms from their home.
The shooting happened on Sept. 4, 2024, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The attack killed two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, along with teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. The shooting also injured nine people.
During sentencing, Judge Nicholas Primm said Gray’s failure to act was connected to the tragedy, but said he had to make his decision based on the law. Several victims’ family members spoke in court and urged the judge to give Gray the maximum sentence.
Aspinwall’s wife accused Gray of failing to be a responsible gun owner, while Schermerhorn’s mother said that raising a child as a single parent can be difficult, but does not excuse failing to protect others from preventable harm.
According to NBC News, Gray’s attorney argued that his client should not receive a lengthy sentence for his son’s actions. He asked the court to sentence Gray to 10 years, saying Gray never intended to harm anyone.
Prosecutors pushed for the maximum punishment, saying Gray ignored a serious danger by allowing his son access to a weapon. Prosecutor Brad Smith said Gray provided the exact tool needed for the attack despite the warning signs.
“This was the risk he was ignoring — that there would be a mass shooting of children at a school — and he gave his son the exact tool he would need to accomplish this,” said Smith. “He is the reason four people are dead, seven were injured, and countless others were traumatized. And he is the reason a 16-year-old boy was sentenced two days ago to the rest of his life in prison.”
Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the attack, later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was tried as an adult for the shooting.