The father of a 14-year-old boy accused of carrying out a deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Colin Gray, 54, was not present in court but his lawyers informed the judge during a brief hearing that their client pleads not guilty and waived formal arraignment, a common practice in Georgia.
Colin Gray and his son, Colt Gray, were both indicted in the September 4 shooting that resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers, as well as injuries to several others. Colt Gray, charged as an adult, faces 55 counts including murder and aggravated assault, while his father was indicted on 29 counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, along with multiple counts of cruelty to children.
Colt Gray had previously entered a not guilty plea and waived arraignment. He is currently held in a juvenile detention center in Gainesville, while Colin Gray remains in the Barrow County jail, with neither seeking bail.
The tragic shooting claimed the lives of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Additionally, another teacher and eight students sustained injuries, seven of whom were shot.
Colin Gray's indictment marks a significant development as he becomes the first adult charged in a school shooting in Georgia. This case is part of a trend where prosecutors are increasingly holding parents accountable for their children's actions in school shootings, as seen in the recent conviction of Michigan parents in a similar incident.
Investigators revealed that Colt Gray had meticulously planned the shooting, bringing a semiautomatic assault-style rifle onto a school bus concealed in a book bag. He had created diagrams and lists of potential body counts in a notebook before carrying out the attack at the high school located northeast of Atlanta.
This tragic event has once again highlighted the devastating impact of school shootings and the importance of addressing issues related to gun violence and mental health in our communities.
