USA: Father who gifted rifle to son sentenced to 15 years for school shooting

A court in Georgia sentenced Colin Gray, the father of teenager Colt Gray, who carried out the massacre at Apalachee High School two years ago, killing four people, to 15 years in prison this Thursday. The father, Colin, was the one who gave his son the rifle and ammunition used in the massacre as a Christmas gift. This is a rare case in the USA where a parent is sent to prison for a shooting spree carried out by their son at a school, and the first time a parent themselves has been convicted of murder in such a context.

The massacre occurred on September 4, 2024: 14-year-old Colt Gray brought an AK-15 rifle to school. Shortly after the school day began, he opened fire in the hallway and a math classroom. He killed two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, as well as two teachers: 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and 53-year-old Cristina Irimie. Another teacher and eight students were wounded. Earlier this week, the teenager was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

During the investigation, it became clear that Colin Gray bought the rifle for his son in December 2023, despite the fact that six months earlier, the FBI had alerted authorities to threats of a school shooting linked to the boy. Relatives testified that Colt’s mental state was deteriorating, but his father ignored the need for professional help. It was also revealed that Colt had hung photos of Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland school massacre, on his bedroom walls.

Colt's mother, Marcey Gray, who lived separately, had urged Colin to secure his weapons, but to no avail. Although the teenager initially claimed his father tried to hide the weapon, investigations proved the rifle was stored unsecured in his bedroom. In March, a jury convicted Colin Gray of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct, and child cruelty.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Brad Smith emphasized that the father's choices were the direct cause of the tragedy. Families of the victims criticized Gray for his parental failures. In recent years, there has been a growing trend in the USA of holding parents accountable when their behavior contributes to their child's crimes, similar to the case of Jennifer and James Crumbley in Michigan.

It was also revealed during the trial that the shooting could have been prevented: on the morning of the attack, school officials attempted to detain Colt after he made alarming statements, but due to a tragic coincidence, they confused him with another student named Colton Gray.