Colin Gray faces sentencing after son's life without parole
Colin Gray, father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, appeared in a Georgia courtroom Thursday to learn his sentence after a jury convicted him of murder for buying his son the AR-15-style rifle used in the 2024 attack that killed four people. The hearing in Winder came days after his teenage son was sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to CNN.
Key Takeaways
- Colin Gray is the first parent of a school shooter convicted of murder in the United States.
- He was found guilty of 27 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, after a March 2026 trial.
- His son, Colt Gray, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Tuesday to life without parole for the September 2024 Apalachee High School shooting.
- Each second-degree murder count carries 10 to 30 years; his attorney sought 10 years in custody plus probation.
- Victims' families told the court Gray's neglect and access to the rifle made the attack possible.
What is Colin Gray being sentenced for?
A Barrow County jury convicted Colin Gray of all 27 charges after deliberating less than two hours. The counts included two of second-degree murder, two of involuntary manslaughter, 18 of cruelty to children, and five of reckless conduct.
Prosecutors argued he acted with criminal negligence and was a proximate cause of the shooting. Evidence showed he bought his then-14-year-old son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift and left firearms unsecured, despite prior warnings.
Gray is the first parent of a school shooter to be convicted of murder, extending a rare wave of parental accountability cases tracked in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
How does his case connect to his son's life sentence?
Colt Gray, now 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder. On Tuesday, Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole.
In September 2024, the teen fatally shot teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Nine others were injured at the Winder, Georgia, school.
The father's sentencing hearing opened with victim impact statements. Shayna Aspinwall called him "a pathetic excuse for a father." Breanna Schermerhorn, mother of Mason, said there is "a world of a difference between struggling to parent, and refusing to parent."
What sentence does Colin Gray face?
Under Georgia law, each second-degree murder charge is punishable by 10 to 30 years. A judge may order that time served in prison or on probation. ABC News reported he faces more than 100 years across all counts.
Defense attorney Brian Hobbs asked for 10 years in custody followed by probation. Gray has already served just under two years since his arrest the day after the shooting. He declined to address the court; Hobbs said he plans to appeal the conviction.
At trial, Gray testified he bought the rifle for outdoor bonding and never saw his son as a threat. Cross-examination showed unsecured guns, awareness of prior violence, and a photo of a school shooter on Colt's wall. An FBI tip about an online school-shooting threat had brought deputies to their home in May 2023—months before Gray purchased the rifle.