Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison after being convicted in connection with the 2024 shooting in Winder, Georgia.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Gray, 55, was convicted of second-degree murder and more than two dozen other charges. Prosecutors said he gave his then-14-year-old son the AR-style rifle and related gear used in the attack.
The sentencing came two days after Colt Gray was sentenced for the killings at Apalachee High School, which left four people dead and others wounded. The elder Gray’s case is notable because he is the first Georgia parent prosecuted for a mass school shooting committed by a child and the first parent in the country convicted of murder in such a case, according to the AJC.
Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm said the case presented difficult questions because Colin Gray had no prior criminal history and did not intend to commit a shooting, while the jury found that his conduct met the legal standard for the convictions.
The case has renewed debate about firearm storage, parental responsibility and how courts should address adults whose conduct contributes to a child’s access to weapons.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 30, 2026.
