Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect charged with killing four people in a school shooting this week in the United States, has appeared in court for the first time since the attack.
Friday’s proceedings were quickly followed by a second hearing for the suspect’s father, 54-year-old Colin Gray.
The elder Gray faces murder and manslaughter charges related to the shooting, as prosecutors argue he enabled his son’s access to firearms.
“His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.
Friday was the first time that either defendant stood before a court since the deadly shooting, which killed two students and two teachers and injured nine others at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday.
Authorities said the 14-year-old suspect surrendered without a fight. He faces four charges of felony murder.
In his hearing, Barrow County Superior Court Judge Currie Mingledorff informed the younger Gray that he could face life in prison, correcting himself after erroneously stating that the 14-year-old could face the death penalty.
Because Gray is under the age of 18, he is not eligible for capital punishment despite being charged as an adult. Since he is a minor, his face was also concealed from the media during the proceedings.
Gray is being held without bond at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center and has yet to enter a plea.
Authorities have yet to offer a potential motive in the shooting or provide details about how the 14-year-old obtained the “AR platform-style weapon” used in the attack.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for December 4.
His father, Colin Gray, was brought before the judge about 40 minutes after the 14-year-old left the room. He faces four charges of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
The Washington Post newspaper reported on Thursday that the 14-year-old’s aunt said he had been “begging for months” for help with mental health issues but did not receive the assistance he needed. The aunt also said the teenager suffered from a “difficult home life”.
Colin Gray is the latest parent to be charged in connection with the actions of a child in a school shooting, and he faces a sentence of up to 180 years in prison.
In April, Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted of four counts each of involuntary manslaughter after their son Ethan opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan.
Prosecutors argued the Crumbleys failed to adequately secure their firearms and respond to their son’s mental health issues. They were both sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The Crumbleys were the first parents to be convicted in connection to a school shooting carried out by a child in the US.
Experts have long said widespread access to firearms has contributed to the prevalence of school shootings in the country. Conservative lawmakers, however, have rejected efforts to add additional restrictions to firearms access, often pushing to further loosen existing regulations.
