WINDER, Ga. — A Georgia jury on Tuesday found Colin Gray, the father of the teenager accused of a 2024 high school shooting, guilty on all 27 charges related to the incident, a verdict that raises complex questions about parental responsibility for the violent acts of their children. The panel reached its decision after less than two hours of deliberation.
Gray, 55, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, 18 counts of cruelty to children, and five counts of reckless conduct. He faces a potential prison sentence of 10 to 30 years for each murder charge and 1 to 10 years for each manslaughter charge. He did not exhibit visible emotion as the verdicts were read and was immediately handcuffed and taken into custody by court security.
The case centers on the actions of Gray’s son, Colt Gray, who is accused of using an AR-15-style rifle to kill two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. The victims were identified as teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Nine other individuals were wounded in the shooting.
Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray knowingly provided his son with access to the weapon, alleging he had purchased the rifle as a Christmas gift. They asserted that Gray ignored multiple warning signs regarding his son’s potential for violence and failed to secure the firearm, thereby creating a dangerous situation. Barrow County Assistant District Attorney Patricia Brooks told jurors during closing arguments that Christian Angulo attempted to shield classmates from the shooter, shutting a classroom door to protect them even as he was shot.
The defense countered that Colin Gray was unaware of his son’s violent intentions and had sought mental health assistance for him. They argued that the father had taken reasonable steps to address his son’s struggles and should not be held criminally responsible for his actions. However, the jury ultimately sided with the prosecution, finding that Gray’s actions constituted “criminal negligence” through a “conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk,” according to the indictment.
This trial is being closely watched as part of a growing trend of attempts to hold parents accountable for mass shootings committed by their children. The case bears striking similarities to the recent trials of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter in Michigan, who were also convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 shooting that killed four students.
Colt Gray, now 16, has pleaded not guilty to 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder. He remains in custody, and a trial date has yet to be scheduled. According to court filings, a medical evaluation of Colt Gray, ordered by the court, was still incomplete as of December 9, 2025, with an expected completion date of the complete of February 2026. His next court hearing is scheduled for March 18, 2026.
