Colt Gray, a 14-year old freshman at Apalachee High School in Georgia, decided to bring an AR15 to school on September 4, 2024 and start shooting. He killed 2 teachers – Richard Aspinwall, 39 and Christina Irimie, 53 and 2 students – Mason Schermerhorn, 14 and Christian Angulo, 14.
Prior to the shooting, his father ignored every single red flag, and bought his son a gun. Colt had engaged in cutting, violence, had panic attacks and anxiety, glorified school shootings and even had decorated his wall with a shrine to school shooter Nikolas Cruz. Regardless of these signs, his dad let him have unfettered access to the gun, unlocked, with ammo, at all times.
His father, Colin Gray, was convicted of 29 counts in March of 2026. Jurors took just under two hours to find him guilty of all charges – which included 2 counts of second-degree murder, 4 counts of involuntary manslaughter, 8 counts of cruelty to children and numerous counts of reckless conduct.
After numerous personal impact statements were made, the judge declared the sentence. Judge Nicholas Primm said:
“Mr. Gray committed crimes, but his crimes are tethered to the crimes committed by his son, and that makes the situation a little unique. It matters that you didn’t have actual knowledge that Colt was going to school to do that. It matters that you didn’t intentionally commit a crime. It matters that you didn’t plan an attack. It matters that you didn’t seek to harm anyone. It matters that you didn’t pull a trigger.”
Today he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Not nearly enough, but it is a start in holding parents and guardians responsible when they allow their underage children unfettered access to weapons of murder.
His son, Colt, now 16, pleaded guilty last week to 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the very same courtroom and by the same judge as his father.