A Georgia jury deliberated less than two hours before finding Colin Gray, whose son Colt allegedly shot and killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in 2024, guilty on 27 charges including second-degree murder.
Colin Gray faces up to 180 years in prison.
Colt Gray is accused of using a Sig Sauer AR15-style weapon to carry out the mass shooting, and is in custody awaiting a trial date. He was 14 at the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors accused Colin Gray of ignoring warning signs of his son’s mental decline as he gifted him the Sig Sauer as a Christmas gift, and allowed the son access to the weapon.
Jurors were shown pictures of a shrine on Colt’s bedroom wall of Nickolas Cruz, who killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High at Parkland, Florida, in 2018.
Colin Gray, testifying on his own behalf, recounted incidents of his son feeling bullied at school and occasionally showing signs of rage.
He said he first introduced his son to firearms in an attempt to bond with him and get him away from screens and video games. He defended his decision to buy his son the weapon and to keep the firearms unsecured, even while he noticed his son’s mental health issues.
“My thought process was, I will do whatever I have to do to get Colt interested in the outdoors,” he said.
In May 2023, county officials visited the Gray home after receiving an FBI tip regarding an online threat to shoot up a school. Gray testified that law enforcement was not able to substantiate the tip.