GEORGIA — Jurors have listened to opening statements in the trial of Colin Gray, the father of the teenager accused of killing four people at a Georgia high school in 2024.
This case is part of a broader legal effort across the country where prosecutors are attempting to hold parents accountable after their children are involved in deadly shootings.
According to the indictment, Gray provided his son, Colt Gray, access to a gun and ammunition after receiving a warning that Colt would harm others.
“This is not a case about holding parents accountable for what their children do. That’s not what this case is about. This case is about this defendant and his actions — his actions in allowing a child that he has custody over access to a firearm and ammunition after being warned that that child was going to harm others,” said Brad Smith, district attorney.
Defense attorney Brian Hobbs emphasized the importance of following the law in the courtroom.
“The courtroom is not a place where we punish people because we’re angry, where we punish people because we’re grieving. It’s not a place where we punish people because we feel someone has to pay. This is a place where we follow the law, and the law requires proof and the law requires evidence,” Hobbs said.
Colin Gray has pleaded not guilty to nearly 30 charges, including two counts each of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter related to the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.
