The father of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect in the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School, was arrested today and is facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Authorities allege that Colin Gray allowed his son to have access to the firearm used in the attack that resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers, as well as injuries to nine others.
Colin Gray, 54, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey explained that the charges stem from Gray’s actions in permitting his son to possess the weapon used in the tragic shooting.
Second-degree murder in Georgia refers to causing the death of another while committing second-degree cruelty to children. It carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison, while involuntary manslaughter involves unintentionally causing someone’s death. Both charges against Colin Gray are directly tied to his son’s actions stating, ““His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.”
Colt Gray has been charged as an adult with multiple counts of murder for his alleged involvement in the shooting at the school, located approximately 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. Warrants indicate that the teen used a semiautomatic assault-style rifle during the attack.
The incident comes after an earlier investigation in May 2023 when Colt was questioned regarding a social media threat to commit a school shooting. Although a tip from the FBI led to an interview with Colt and his father, no charges were filed at the time due to conflicting evidence surrounding the online post.
According to authorities, the boy’s father had been aware of Colt’s access to firearms at their home, and the two frequently went hunting together. However, the investigation into the earlier threat did not result in legal action because of inconsistencies in the digital evidence.
On the day of the shooting, Colt Gray opened fire in the hallway outside his math class, killing two students—Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14—and two teachers—Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. Nine other individuals, including eight students and one teacher, were injured but are expected to survive.
Colt Gray was taken into custody shortly after the shooting started by two school resource officers who responded to the gunfire. He is currently being held at a regional youth detention center and is scheduled for his first court appearance on Friday.
Authorities have not yet determined how the suspect brought the firearm into the school or what motivated the attack. The case remains under investigation.
