Oakland County, MI – From here in Michigan, this one hits different.
A Georgia jury has found Colin Gray guilty on all 27 charges tied to the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School and the ripple effects reach straight back to Oakland County.
After less than two hours of deliberation, jurors convicted the 55-year-old father of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, 18 counts of cruelty to children and five counts of reckless conduct. Two additional counts were dropped.
Gray showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read. He was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs. He now faces 10 to 30 years in prison on each murder count and 1 to 10 years on each manslaughter count.
Prosecutors argued that Gray bought his son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas present and allowed him access to it despite repeated warning signs. Colt Gray, then 14, used that rifle on September 4, 2024, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, killing two teachers and two students and injuring others.
During the two-week trial, prosecutors laid out evidence that Colin Gray had been warned about his son’s obsession with mass shooters and knew the teen kept a shrine in his bedroom dedicated to the 2018 Parkland shooter. Instead of seeking serious intervention, prosecutors said, he gave him a weapon.
On the stand, Gray admitted purchasing the rifle but claimed it came with rules.
“I struggle with it every day,” he testified. “He’s a good kid… I don’t know if anybody would see that type of evil.”
The verdict places Colin Gray in historic territory. He becomes just the second father in U.S. history convicted of crimes stemming from a school shooting committed by his child.
The first was James Crumbley, convicted in the Oxford High School case out of Oakland County. That prosecution, led by Karen McDonald, resulted in both James and Jennifer Crumbley being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.
RELATED: Crumbley Appeal Exposed: Exclusive Information That Could Free Jennifer & James Crumbley Revealed
I followed the Oxford case from beginning to end, every hearing, every motion, every sentencing. For better or worse, I’ve been widely considered the independent source for all things Crumbley. That case changed the legal landscape. The Gray verdict proves it wasn’t a one-off.
Following the Gray verdict, McDonald released this statement:
“It is my hope the conviction of Colin Gray for his actions that led to the Apalachee High School shooting provides a measure of justice and accountability for Apalachee victims—especially the families of Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Cristina Irimie, and Richard Aspinwall. Prosecuting these crimes is vital, but it’s not enough. Our ultimate goal must be fewer gun violence tragedies.
“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children, and that is unacceptable. We must address this problem like other public health issues, such as reducing overdose deaths and auto crashes.
“Whether it is identifying someone in crisis before they become violent, strengthening personal protection orders to better protect domestic violence survivors, or making safe storage of firearms as normal as wearing seatbelts, we must all work together toward real solutions to reduce gun violence.”
Colt Gray, now 16, has been charged as an adult and is awaiting trial on multiple counts of felony murder and aggravated assault. He has pleaded not guilty.
From Michigan to Georgia, juries are sending the same message: If you hand a troubled teenager a rifle and ignore the red flags, you may not be able to hide behind “I didn’t know.”
The Oxford case in Oakland County opened that door. This verdict just walked through it.
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