GA Father Colin Gray Sentenced To 15 Years For Gifting Son Rifle Used In High School Mass Shooting

WINDER, GA. (THECOUNT) — Colin Gray was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison after a Georgia jury convicted him of multiple charges stemming from his decision to give his 14-year-old son an assault-style rifle that was later used in the deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School, according to court records.

Winder is located in Barrow County in northeastern Georgia, approximately 50 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The sentencing marks one of the most significant criminal punishments imposed on a parent in the United States for conduct connected to a school shooting committed by their child.

Gray was convicted in March on charges that included second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for providing the firearm used by his son, Colt Gray, during the Sept. 4, 2024, attack at Apalachee High School.

Authorities said Colin Gray gave the rifle to his son as a Christmas gift despite prior law enforcement concerns involving the teenager. Prosecutors presented evidence that several months before the shooting, officers visited the family’s home after reports that Colt Gray had threatened to carry out a school shooting at an elementary school.

Judge Nicholas Primm addressed the elder Gray during sentencing, stating that his role was to sentence without passion despite the devastating consequences of the case.

“I don’t get to sentence with passion,” Primm told the courtroom. “I have the nearly impossible task of sentencing you without passion, despite the immeasurable heartache that you’ve caused.”

The judge further stated that Gray failed to obtain counseling for his son and failed to remove firearms from the household despite the warning signs presented before the attack.

Colt Gray, now 16, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the school shooting. Prosecutors said he was obsessed with notorious mass killers and had become particularly fixated on the perpetrators of the Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School massacres.

The shooting claimed the lives of Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, teacher Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and teacher Cristina Irimie, 53. Seven additional students suffered gunshot wounds and another teacher was injured during the attack.

Several victims’ family members addressed the court during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, urging the judge to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law.

Mason Schermerhorn’s mother told the court that while parenting can be difficult, parents remain responsible for the items they place into their children’s hands. Richard Aspinwall’s wife criticized Gray’s conduct as failing the responsibilities associated with lawful firearm ownership.

Defense attorney Brian Hobbs argued that his client never intended to harm anyone and requested a 10-year sentence. Hobbs also attempted to shift some responsibility toward the shooter’s mother, Marcee Gray, who has not been criminally charged in connection with the shooting.

Prosecutor Brad Smith argued that Colin Gray ignored a substantial and unjustifiable risk by providing his son with the firearm despite multiple warning signs.

Smith told the court that the foreseeable risk of a school shooting is precisely what Gray failed to prevent, resulting in four deaths, multiple injuries and lifelong trauma for victims, survivors and their families.

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