Georgia father sentenced to 15 years in school shooting case
Georgia school shooting case: father gets 15 years for giving son the gun A rare parent accountability ruling tied to the Apalachee High School massacre
A Georgia man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after a jury found that he gave his son the gun used in a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. The case stems from the Sept. 4, 2024 attack in Winder, about 70 kilometres northeast of Atlanta, which killed two students and two teachers.
Colin Gray was convicted of seconddegree murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and cruelty to children. Prosecutors said he bought the rifle for his son as a Christmas gift and also provided ammunition and accessories. Judge Nicholas Primm said Gray failed as a parent, while noting that the crime involved negligence rather than intent.
The sentencing came days after Gray’s son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the shooting. The case is part of a small number of U.S. prosecutions in which parents have been held criminally responsible after a child carried out a school shooting.