Colin Gray, father of Apalachee HS shooting suspect, found guilty

ATLANTA — A Barrow County jury on Tuesday found Colin Gray guilty on all counts related to the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School.

Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before delivering a unanimous verdict. Gray, 55, faces a potential sentence of up to 180 years in prison. Sentencing has been postponed.

Prosecutors charged Gray with 29 felony counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children. They argued that he allowed access to the AR-15-style rifle authorities say his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, used in the September 4, 2024 attack.

Investigators said the teen opened fire inside the school near Winder, killing teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, along with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Nine others were injured before the suspect was taken into custody.

Emotional reactions filled the courtroom as the verdict was read, with sobbing audible in the gallery. Gray appeared largely expressionless. After the verdicts were announced, he stood behind the defense table and was taken into custody in handcuffs.

Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith emphasized that the case focused on the father’s decisions — not solely on his son’s alleged crimes.

“I would have never given my 14-year-old child a firearm like that,” Smith said. “I think most parents wouldn’t have done that.”

Smith said that while many people may share blame in tragic situations, the evidence showed Gray had the information and authority necessary to prevent the shooting. He added that although the mother’s actions may have been “morally reprehensible,” she did not have custody of the teen or control over the firearms, and therefore did not face charges.

“We found what she did to be morally reprehensible,” Smith said. “But at the end of the day, she did not have custody, and she was not the one who provided him the firearms.”

The district attorney also spoke about the emotional toll the case took on prosecutors, saying the team worked diligently to seek justice for the victims’ families. He described protecting children as a responsibility that extends beyond legal obligations.

“God gave us a duty to protect our children,” Smith said. “I hope we remember that as parents and as community members.”

During closing arguments, prosecutors reminded jurors that the shooting lasted just 41 seconds but left lasting devastation.

“For 41 seconds, those 41 seconds forever altered the lives of the students of Apalachee High School, their parents, and everyone in this community,” prosecutors said. They argued that Colin Gray shared responsibility for the deaths of Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Cristina Irimie, and Richard Aspinwall.

Prosecutors presented body camera footage and text messages they said showed Gray knew his son was struggling. They argued he should not have purchased the rifle months earlier as a Christmas gift, citing school discipline records, previous threats reported to law enforcement, and online searches related to finding help for a “troubled teen.”

Defense attorneys countered that the state was improperly extending criminal responsibility to a parent for a child’s independent actions. They portrayed Gray as a single father coping with family difficulties and his son’s behavioral issues.

“This young man right here is the person who went into the high school and shot and killed four people he didn’t even know,” the defense said, referring to Colt Gray.

Gray testified in his own defense, saying he bonded with his son through hunting and target practice and required that firearms remain unloaded.

“He had a healthy respect for weapons,” Gray testified.

The case has drawn national attention as one of the rare prosecutions seeking to hold a parent criminally responsible for allegedly enabling a child’s access to a firearm used in a school shooting. In a similar Michigan case, the parents of a school shooter were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to prison.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date to allow victims’ families the opportunity to attend and deliver impact statements before a final decision is made.