Father of Georgia school shooter gets 15 years in prison

The Georgia father whose teenage son killed four people in a 2024 school shooting was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday.

Colin Gray, who gave his son the gun used in the shooting at Apalachee High School, was convicted in March of both second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

His son was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Brad Smith, the Barrow County, Ga., district attorney, said he hopes parents will remember their responsibility not to ignore mental health risks with their children.

“These kids are not in the position where they are able to make rational decisions when it comes to things like firearms,” Smith said after Thursday’s sentencing. “We need, as a society, to step up and realize who should and who should not have access to them.”

Colin Gray joins a growing number of parents who have been prosecuted for the actions of their children.

Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.

Sign up for Here’s The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews
X: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newshour/