The father of 14-year-old Georgia high school shooting suspect Colt Gray has been hit with a bevy of charges a day after the deadly massacre.
Colin Gray, 54, was arrested and charged Thursday with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced.
Mike Stewart/AP
Police gather outside Apalachee High School after a shooting at the school Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
At a news conference Thursday night, GBI Director Chris Hosey said the charges were “directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon,” but did not offer additional details.
The older Gray is believed to have owned several guns, including a military-style rifle like the one used in Wednesday’s attack.
Colt Gray is accused of killing two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, roughly 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, when he opened fire shortly before 10:20 a.m. Dozens of others were wounded by gunfire or injured in the chaos.
It was the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history.
Within minutes of responding to calls for help, police officers located the gunman, who immediately surrendered. He was taken into custody and later charged with four felony counts of murder. He’s being tried as an adult.
The father and son were interviewed in May 2023 after the FBI received a tip that the teen made threats online about shooting up a middle school. Colt Gray, 13 at the time, denied making those threats, and his father — who admitted to having guns in the house — said he knew nothing about them.
The FBI and the local sheriff’s office said they hadn’t compiled enough evidence to arrest either Gray at that time, only issuing a warning to local schools for “continued monitoring” of the teen.
Earlier this year, Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, were sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for manslaughter. On Nov. 30, 2021, then-15-year-old Ethan opened fire at Oxford High School, killing four students.
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