Colin Gray, the father of the Apalachee High School shooting suspect, Colt Gray, has reportedly been convicted of murder and manslaughter. This, after four people were killed in the 2024 incident.
RELATED: UPDATE: Colin Gray, Father Of Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect, Has Been Arrested & Charged
Colin Gray, Father Of Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect Colt Gray, Reportedly Convicted Of Murder & Manslaughter
According to CNN, Colin Gray was convicted of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday, March 3. Furthermore, the outlet reports that a jury deliberated for about two hours. This, before convicting Colin on a total of 27 charges. This reportedly included “two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, 18 counts of cruelty to children, and five counts of reckless conduct.”
Per CNN, Colin did not visibly react to the verdict once it was read. Now, he is reportedly facing “10 to 30 years in prison on each murder charge and 1 to 10 years on each manslaughter charge.”
“That man and his son are both responsible for the immense suffering that occurred on September 4. The blood is on their hands,” prosecutor Patricia Brooks reportedly stated during the trial’s closing arguments.
More Details On The Apalachee High School Shooting & Suspect Colt Gray
As The Shade Room previously reported, the shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia occurred in September 2024. At the time, it was revealed that 14-year-old student Colt Gray was responsible for the shooting. Then, a few days later, as Colt faced charges, his dad, Colin Gray, was arrested. And charged with “involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and cruelty to children.” Furthermore, by that time, it was reported that four people lost their lives after Colt opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle, per The Shade Room.
More Details On Colin Gray’s Arrest & Alleged Fault In Apalachee High School Shooting
Furthermore, it was ultimately discovered that Colin Gray purchased the rifle for Colt as a 2023 Christmas present. Additionally, in May of that year, authorities reportedly visited Colin Gray at his home to inform him that his son was making threats against a school, per The Shade Room. During the visit, Colin reportedly told cops that his son was “struggling a bit” in school and getting bullied. But he believed Colt understood the “seriousness of weapons.”
“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. Well, on anybody at school,” Colin reportedly said of his son during the trial, per NBC News.
Ultimately, authorities believed Colin exhibited recklessness and “criminal negligence” by purchasing the rifle for his son after being informed of his behavior. Per CNN, during the case, Colin also revealed that Colt sometimes kept the rifle in his bedroom, and other weapons in the home were not always secured.
“Colin Gray knowingly allowed his son, Colt Gray, to possess a gun,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation asserted in September 2024.
At this time, Colin’s sentencing date has not been scheduled. Per CNN, Colt Gray, who is now 16, has pleaded not guilty to 55 felony counts. However, a trial date for him has yet to be scheduled.
“The guilty verdict of Colin Gray, following those of Jennifer and James Crumbley, sends a clear message: gun owners who recklessly arm a child in crisis will be held accountable… This isn’t about punishing every parent; it’s about the life-and-death duty of adults to keep weapons out of the hands of children,” Nick Suplina, the senior vice president of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, reportedly said in a statement, per USA Today.
