A Georgia man has been convicted of murder after his 14-year-old son allegedly killed two students, two teachers and injured nine others in a school shooting. Colin Gray, 54, did not fire any shots and was not present at the school during the attack, but was found guilty on 29 charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary homicide.
Legal experts say this case marks a significant shift in accountability for mass shootings in the US. It follows the landmark trial of Jennifer and James Crumbley, a Michigan couple whose son killed four students in 2021. The Crumbleys were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for allowing their son access to a firearm despite warnings from school staff.
Prosecutors argued that Gray enabled the shooting by providing his son with a rifle as a Christmas gift, despite previous police interviews about online threats. Gray faces up to 180 years in prison when sentenced in July.
Experts suggest these prosecutions aim to deter parents from being careless with guns and to pressure children to avoid firearms. 'The goal is to change parents' behaviour directly,' said Nila Bala, a law professor at UC Davis. 'Children will factor in their parents' legal risk when thinking through their own actions.'
While parents have been charged for children's crimes before, these are the first homicide convictions of parents in school shooting cases. Sam Levy of Everytown for Gun Safety said such prosecutions 'demonstrate to the wider world that this type of misconduct has consequences'.
