Apalachee High School shooting fallout moved into a new phase Tuesday after the Colin Gray verdict found the father guilty for conduct tied to the weapon prosecutors said his teenage son used in the Sept. 4, 2024 attack that killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine others.
Jurors from neighboring Hall County convicted Colin Gray on March 3, 2026 of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, along with multiple counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to children, after deliberating for less than two hours. Prosecutors argued he enabled access to guns and ammunition despite warnings about his son’s mental health and violent fantasies, including buying a SIG Sauer M400 in November 2023 and adding gear to a weapons-focused wish list. The defense said responsibility rests with the alleged shooter and argued school staff missed the gun on campus.
In the wake of the Colin Gray verdict, advocates renewed calls for Georgia safe-storage legislation that would more clearly define parental duties when firearms are kept in homes with children.
