Versions :<1234567Live>
Snapshot 4:Fri, Sep 6, 2024 7:16:19 PM GMT last edited by KateHennig

Son, Father Face Charges for Georgia School Shooting

Son, Father Face Charges for Georgia School Shooting

Above: The Barrow County (Ga.) Courthouse, where Colt and Colin Gray were arraigned Sept. 6, 2024. Image copyright: Adam Hagy/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Colt Gray, 14, and his father Colin Gray on Friday were arraigned in a Georgia courtroom in relation to the Wednesday shooting at Apalachee High School, where two students and two teachers were shot and killed.Colt Gray, 14, and his father, Colin Gray, were arraigned in a Georgia courtroom on Friday in relation to the Wednesday shooting at Apalachee High School, where two students and two teachers were shot and killed.

  • The younger Gray faces four counts of felony murder, while his father faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.

  • Colin Gray, whose charges total a possible 180 years in prison, was arrested Thursday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation believes the father "knowingly" permitted his son to have a weapon, and the AR platform-style weapon used in the shooting was a Christmas present to the son.Colin Gray, whose charges total a possible 180 years in prison, was arrested Thursday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation believes the father "knowingly" permitted his son to have a weapon and that the AR platform-style weapon used in the shooting was a Christmas present to the son.


The Spin


PriorWhile to this tragedy, police may have been able to do more to prevent it.this Buttragedy, Georgia's gun laws open the door to these sorts of things happening incidents— and the state's 10th-place ranking for school campus gun violence shows it. It's ridiculous that there's no minimum age requirement for possession of a rifle or shotgun. That allowed the elder Gray tonever giveshould've hisbeen sonnear a firearm hein neverthe should'vefirst been nearplace.


Tragedies like this aren't prevented by violating the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. This tragedy tells us more about the level of parenting that's needed in the US — to keep tabs on their children's mental health and make sure they aren't posing a danger to themselves or their community. Holding parents accountable — in this case, and others — could reduce the risk of this happening again.


Articles on this story

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up!
Sign Up Now!