A Georgia jury began deliberations Monday in the unprecedented murder trial of a father whose teenage son allegedly carried out a deadly school shooting using a weapon the father provided.
Colin Gray, 55, faces 29 criminal charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter connected to the September 2024 attack at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. His 14-year-old son Colt allegedly used a rifle given to him as a Christmas present to kill four people and injure seven others at the school.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Patricia Brooks emphasized the case centers on determining “who armed Colt and who enabled him to do what he did.”
The September attack claimed the lives of two 14-year-old students, Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, along with teachers Cristina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39.
Gray entered a not guilty plea and testified in his own defense during the 11-day proceedings before Piedmont Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge Nicholas Primm. Taking the witness stand Friday, he became emotional while acknowledging “I could have done more.” He described himself as a father attempting to hold together a fractured household while raising three children apart from his estranged spouse.
Defense attorney Jimmy Berry urged jurors to base their verdict on evidence and legal standards rather than emotions, recognizing the community’s desire for explanations following the tragedy.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Gray disregarded concerning behaviors from his son, including the creation of a shrine honoring previous school shooters in the teenager’s bedroom, along with disruptive conduct at school and violent episodes at home.
Body camera recordings from responding deputies showed Gray’s reaction upon learning of the shooting. “God. I knew it, man. My little girl just texted me,” he was heard saying. The footage also captured him telling officers, “We’re trying to get him into counseling.”
However, Gray’s estranged wife Marcee testified that her husband dismissed counseling efforts and ignored her pleas to secure firearms in their home away from their son.
The defense argued Gray purchased the weapon as a Christmas gift to strengthen his relationship with Colt through shared hunting and target shooting activities.
Colt Gray, who was 14 during the shooting, awaits his own trial on 55 charges including multiple counts of malice murder and felony murder.
This prosecution follows a similar 2024 Michigan case where parents of school shooter Ethan Crumbley received 10 to 15-year prison sentences for manslaughter. Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted after jurors determined they provided their son with a firearm and overlooked warning indicators before he killed four students at his Detroit-area high school in 2021.
Legal experts note such parental prosecutions remain uncommon but are increasingly pursued by prosecutors and communities seeking accountability and potential deterrence in school shooting cases where parental negligence appears evident.
