Lead

The father of the teenager who killed four people at Apalachee High School in Georgia in 2024 has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Colin Gray, 55, was found guilty in March on 27 charges, including second-degree murder, for giving his son the rifle used in the attack.

The sentence was handed down Thursday by Judge Nicholas Primm, who also sentenced Colt Gray earlier this week. The shooting on September 4, 2024, at the school in Winder, Georgia, about 70 kilometers northeast of Atlanta, killed two students and two teachers.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from three news organisations—ABC Australia, BBC—World, and South China Morning Post—agree on the core facts: Colin Gray was sentenced to 15 years in prison, his son Colt Gray pleaded guilty to 55 counts including murder, and the shooting occurred at Apalachee High School, resulting in four deaths.

The BBC and South China Morning Post both note that Colin Gray's sentence was handed down Thursday, days after his son was sentenced to life in prison without parole. ABC Australia adds that Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, appeared impassive as the judge delivered his sentence on Tuesday.

All three outlets report that Colin Gray had given his son the rifle as a Christmas present, despite what prosecutors described as clear warning signs about the boy's mental state. The BBC reports that Judge Primm admonished Colin Gray for failing to send his son to counseling, monitor his online activity, and lock up guns in the house.

Key Claims

  • Colin Gray was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the Apalachee High School shooting.
  • Colt Gray pleaded guilty to 55 counts, including murder, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
  • The shooting resulted in the deaths of four people: students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14, and teachers Cristina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39.
  • Colt Gray had idolized school shooters, and prosecutors said he had a shrine to them in his room.
  • Colin Gray had given his son the rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas present, despite warning signs of his son's deteriorating mental state.

Perspectives

Prosecution

Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray was "the one person who could have prevented" the shooting, as reported by the BBC. They asked for the maximum sentence of 80 years in prison, according to the South China Morning Post and the BBC.

Defense

Colin Gray's defense lawyer asked the judge for a sentence that would amount to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation, as reported by the South China Morning Post and the BBC.

Judge Nicholas Primm

Judge Primm told Colin Gray, "It is clear you failed as a parent. The warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter...and you failed to do the simplest things to prevent this," according to the BBC. However, the judge also acknowledged that Colin Gray "didn't seek to harm anyone" and "didn't pull a trigger" himself. Primm noted that all of Colin Gray's crimes were crimes of negligence "tethered to the tragedy committed by his son," as reported by the South China Morning Post.