Alleged School Shooter's Father Found Guilty Of Murder For Ignoring Clear Signs
The jury found Colin Gray guilty of second-degree murder after he bought his son a rifle for Christmas that was later used to kill four people.
By
Paige Skinner
Mar 3, 2026, 11:26 AM EST
Colin Gray, the father of alleged school shooter Colt Gray, was found guilty of murder on Tuesday in relation to the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that killed four people and injured nine others at Apalachee High School near Winder, Georgia.
The jury deliberated for a few hours. Their verdict comes after two weeks of testimony in which prosecutors argued that Colin Gray, the 55-year-old father of Colt Gray — who was 14 when he shot and killed multiple students and teachers at his school — should be held responsible for the shooting because he bought his son an AR-style rifle despite knowing he had violent tendencies and that his mental health was deteriorating. Colin Gray was found guilty of all charges, which included second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children.
Colin Gray now faces up to 180 years in prison on charges of murder in the second degree and involuntary manslaughter.
During closing arguments Monday, Patricia Brooks, the Barrow County assistant district attorney, described the father as a “narcissist” who created a facade that he was a good parent. She argued that he bought his son a rifle, lied about taking him to counseling, and purposely ignored warning signs, like Colt Gray’s past threat to shoot up a school and his bedroom shrine dedicated to school shooters.
“We already live in a world where our teachers, our students, our law enforcement officers have to train for the possibility of an active shooter coming to their school,” Brooks said Monday during her closing arguments. “It’s preposterous to say that they are the ones to blame for what happened on Sept. 4.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/father-of-school-shooter-found-guilty-of-murder-for-ignoring-signs_n_69a5d63de4b0c426d6a8bb6a
