Father Who Gave Gun To Georgia High School Shooter Sentenced To Serve 15 Years In Prison

A man who gave his boy nan weapon he utilized to termination 2 students and 2 teachers astatine Apalachee High School successful Georgia was sentenced Thursday to 15 years successful prison.

Colin Gray’s sentencing comes days aft his son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life successful situation without nan anticipation of parole successful nan Sept. 4, 2024, shooting astatine nan schoolhouse 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray had pleaded blameworthy to execution and different charges.

A defense lawyer for Colin Gray asked nan judge for a condemnation that would magnitude to 10 years successful situation followed by 10 years connected probation. The territory lawyer said Gray deserves a condemnation of 80 years successful prison.

Judge Nicholas Primm, who besides sentenced Colt Gray earlier this week, noted that each of Colin Gray’s cirmes were crimes of negligence “tethered to nan calamity committed by his son.”

“My bosom aches for everyone that was location that day, for each of you that person been impacted by it. But nan rule requires that I group speech emotion. I don’t get to condemnation pinch passion. I person nan astir intolerable task of sentencing you without passion contempt nan immeasurable heartache that you caused,” Primm said.

The elder Gray is 1 of a fistful of American parents who person been criminally charged aft their children were accused successful shootings.

A assemblage successful March recovered Colin Gray blameworthy of second-degree execution successful nan deaths of 2 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia rule defines second-degree execution arsenic causing nan decease of a kid by committing nan crime of cruelty to children. Gray was besides recovered blameworthy of involuntary manslaughter successful nan killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

Another coach and 8 different students were wounded, 7 of them deed by gunfire.

Families supply unfortunate effect statements

Family members of those who died and victims of nan shooting condemned what they said were Gray’s failures arsenic a genitor and urged nan judge to springiness him nan maximum condemnation possible.

“This wasn’t unavoidable. This was preventable. Because of nan choices made wrong nan Gray household, 4 families were handed life sentences of grief,” said Breanna Schermerhorn, whose boy was killed.

“He did not propulsion nan trigger but purchased and near a firearm accessible to a minor,” said Shayna Aspinwall, whose hubby was killed. She said nan condemnation must return into relationship “the families near down who must transportation nan condolences and trauma for nan remainder of our lives.”

Prosecutors said Colin Gray missed reddish flags

Prosecutors opportunity Colin Gray gave his boy nan firearm arsenic a Christmas gift on pinch ammunition, a weapon show and different shooting accessories.

Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jason Smith testified that Colt Gray carried nan semiautomatic firearm onto nan schoolhouse autobus pinch nan tube sticking retired and wrapped successful poster board. The teen near his second-period people and went to a bathroom, emerged pinch nan firearm and changeable group successful nan hallway and a classroom, nan interrogator said.

Colt Gray, who was 14 astatine nan clip of nan shooting, had shown signs of deteriorating intelligence wellness successful nan weeks starring up to nan killings, according to grounds during his sentencing hearing. He belonged to a “true crime community” online wherever he and different young group discussed their obsession pinch wide shooters, an interrogator testified.

The teen’s mother, Marcee Gray, who was separated from Colin Gray, told investigators that she had based on pinch her estranged hubby weeks earlier nan shooting, asking him to unafraid his guns and restrict their son’s access.

A immense quality successful sentencing recommendations

Colin Gray’s lawyer based on that Colt Gray “actively hid nan extent of his involvement” successful an online organization obsessed pinch wide shooters. The reddish flags enumerated by prosecutors were spaced retired and “surrounded by stretches of a kid who laughed, who was bright, who loved his computer, video games, who played guitar, who went into nan woods pinch his father,” lawyer Brian Hobbs said.

A decades-long condemnation would efficaciously beryllium “death successful prison” for his 55-year-old client, he said. By giving Gray fundamentally nan aforesaid condemnation arsenic his son, nan existent killer, nan judge would beryllium erasing nan statement successful Georgia rule “between nan harm a personification intends to do and nan harm a personification fails to prevent,” Hobbs argued.

Barrow County Dist. Atty. Brad Smith countered that Colin Gray “was convicted for what he did know.” Gray ignored “a important and unjustifiable risk,” Smith said, displaying photos and news articles astir nan 2018 massacre astatine Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that hung connected Colt Gray’s chamber wall.

“This was nan consequence that he was ignoring, that location would beryllium a wide shooting of children astatine a school, and he gave his boy nan nonstop instrumentality he would request to execute this,” Smith said. “He is nan logic 4 group are dead, 7 were injured and countless others were traumatized, and he is nan logic a 16-year-old boy was sentenced 2 days agone to nan remainder of his life successful prison.”

Colin Gray is not nan first genitor to look specified charges

Prosecutors person successful caller years held parents responsible erstwhile they judge they tin beryllium a genitor contributed to a killing.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were nan first U.S. parents to look specified charges aft their son, Ethan, killed 4 students and wounded others astatine Michigan’s Oxford High School successful 2021. Like Colin Gray, they were unaware of their son’s plans but had talented him a weapon earlier nan shooting. They are serving 10-year situation position for involuntary manslaughter. Hobbs, nan defense attorney, urged nan judge to usage that condemnation arsenic a guide.

Brumback writes for nan Associated Press.