A father and son may go to prison on multiple murder charges after the teen opened fire at Apalachee High School in the Barrow County School System, allegedly using a gun he received for Christmas.
The shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, appeared before a judge on September 6, 2024, where he was assessed four felony murder charges. Colt will be tried as an adult but is too young to face the death penalty. His father, Colin Gray—who’s accused of inciting violence by giving his son the weapon— is currently charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
About a year before the mass shooting at Apalachee High School, FBI agents interviewed Colin and Colt after the boy allegedly made threats against a middle school in another district. Investigators found no probable cause and Colt, who denied posting the threat in a chatroom, was never booked on any charges. A timeline shows Colin allegedly gifted his son with an AR-15-style rifle for Christmas in 2023, several months after the FBI interrogation.
Despite some mentions of Colt enduring “ridicule” from his peers, media sources have not revealed a clear motive for the attack that claimed the lives of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irmie. Members of the Gray family are speaking out against Colin’s reckless parenting. According to the New York Post, Charles Polhamus, Colt’s maternal grandfather, described his ex-son-in-laws as “evil” and said Colin “should bear much of the blame” for the violent incident. Polhamus was further quoted saying:
“Colt has to pay for what he did, but I’m telling you, he was driven, no question in my mind. He was driven by his father to do what he did. That’s as plain as I can put it, and I know I’m right. [Colin Gray] got what he deserved too.”
If Colin Gray is convicted, this will be the second time in US history a parent is held criminally responsible in the aftermath of a school shooting. In the case of Oxford Community Schools—where 16-year-old Ethan Crumbley pled guilty to 24 counts, including four counts of first-degree murder and one count of terrorism—the parents were the first to be charged with crimes committed by their son.
Ethan received life in prison without a chance for parole while his parents James and Jennifer were convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison. Similar to the Gray case, the Crumbleys were found guilty of allowing their son to possess a firearm despite signs of mental health issues.
Colin could face more than 100 years in prison if he is found guilty in the Apalachee High School shooting. Neither he nor Colt entered a plea when going before the judge.
Both suspects are scheduled to appear in court on December 4.
More information on this evolving story can be found on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s FAQ page.
