WINDER, Ga. (West Georgia Times) — A Barrow County jury on Tuesday found Colin Gray guilty of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and related charges in connection with the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School, marking a significant legal moment in how parents can be held accountable for shootings carried out by their children.
The verdict came after less than two hours of deliberation following a two-week trial in Piedmont Judicial Circuit Superior Court in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray, 55, now faces decades in prison when he is sentenced later this year.
Gray was charged with multiple counts, including second-degree murder for the deaths of two 14-year-old students and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of two teachers who were killed in the Sept. 4, 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School. Nine others were injured in the attack.
Prosecutors argued that Gray’s decision to purchase and give his then-14-year-old son, Colt Gray, the rifle used in the attack — despite clear signs of the teenager’s deteriorating mental health and fascination with past school shootings — made him legally responsible for the consequences.
“Jurors had a very difficult task,” Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said after the verdict, noting that the case is part of a broader national effort to hold adults accountable when their actions enable school violence.
Legal experts say the conviction is part of an emerging trend in which prosecutors across the country pursue criminal charges against parents of school shooters — following similar cases in Michigan and other states — though such verdicts remain rare.
The impact of the shooting and trial has reverberated throughout the community, prompting renewed discussions about gun safety, mental health resources and school security in Barrow County and beyond. Parents of victims wept in the courtroom as the verdict was read, and local leaders emphasized the ongoing need for prevention and support for students and families affected by gun violence.
Colt Gray, now 16, faces a separate trial on more than 50 felony counts related to the shooting. A date for that proceeding has not yet been scheduled.
