Colin Gray has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for providing the firearms his then-14-year-old son, Colt Gray, used in a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School in September 2024. The sentencing on Thursday marks a rare instance of a parent facing criminal penalties for a child's school shooting. Gray was found guilty of second-degree murder for the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.
Colt Gray, now 16, received a sentence of life in prison without parole for the attack, which also wounded eight students and one teacher. Investigators stated that Colt received a semiautomatic rifle and ammunition from his father as a Christmas present. The then-14-year-old carried the weapon to school, with the barrel of the rifle protruding from a poster board-wrapped bag. During a second-period bathroom break, he reportedly retrieved the firearm and began shooting.
Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray overlooked multiple warning signs regarding his son's deteriorating mental state. Evidence suggested Colt was involved in online communities where mass shooters were openly discussed. In contrast, Colin Gray's defense attorneys contended that the teenager had concealed the extent of his online activities and appeared to be a normal teen prior to the tragedy. They also argued that a 15-year sentence for the 55-year-old would be excessively harsh.
However, prosecutors emphasized that Gray ignored a "substantial and unjustifiable risk," providing his son with the means to commit mass murder. Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jason Smith stated that Gray was responsible for the deaths, injuries, and trauma resulting from the shooting, as well as his son's life sentence. Colin Gray's ex-wife and Colt's mother had reportedly asked him to secure all weapons in the home before the shooting.
This case draws parallels to that of James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of Ethan Crumbley, who killed four students at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021. Both Crumbleys received sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison for their son's actions. Ethan Crumbley, like Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without parole.