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Father of US school shooter sentenced to 15 years for murder and manslaughter

Colin Gray, 55, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for murder, manslaughter, and other charges related to a 2024 school shooting in Georgia, US, carried out by his son.

  • Colin Gray was found guilty in March 2026 of charges stemming from the 2024 attack at Apalachee High School.
  • His son, Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty to the murders last week.
  • Prosecutors stated that the rifle used in the attack was a gift from Colin Gray to his son.

The father of a teenage boy who killed four people at a high school in Georgia, US, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Colin Gray, 55, received the sentence on Thursday for murder, manslaughter, and other charges.

Mr Gray was found guilty in March 2026 following the 2024 attack at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students. His son, Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty to the murders last week, and investigators said the rifle used was a gift from his father.

Prosecutors argued that Mr Gray was the one person who could have prevented the shooting. Judge Nicholas Primm, who handed down the sentence, told Mr Gray that he had failed as a parent by not sending his son to counselling, monitoring his online activity, or securing the guns in the house.

During the trial, the jury heard that Mr Gray had bought his son an AR-style rifle for Christmas the year before the attack, despite the boy having been questioned by police seven months earlier about online threats to commit a school shooting. Prosecutors also stated that Mr Gray ignored a notebook detailing his son's plans to kill students and teachers.

Why this matters: This case marks the third instance where a US parent has been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child, according to CBS News.

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