Father of Apalachee High School shooter sentenced to prison

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School mass shooter Colt Gray, appeared in a Barrow County courtroom Thursday where he was sentenced to prison for his role in the 2024 mass murder. 

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced Colin Gray on Thursday afternoon following emotional courtroom testimony and closing arguments. 

What we know:

Colin Gray, 55, faced a maximum sentence of 180 years in prison after a jury convicted him in March on 27 counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. 

Judge Primm sentenced Colin Gray to serve 15 years on each charge he was convicted of, with those sentences to run concurrently — which means they will be served at the same time. 

Gray was convicted due to his failure to intervene and act regarding the tragedy committed by his son, Colt Gray, according to Primm. 

Prosecutors argued that the father failed to act on obvious mental health warning signs involving his son, who was 14 at the time of the tragedy. 

Despite those warning signs, Colin Gray provided his son with the AR-15-style assault rifle used in the attack that left two students and two teachers dead, as well as 11 people injured. 

PREVIOUS STORY: Apalachee HS shooting: Colin Gray sentencing date set

The court delayed Colin Gray's sentencing after his March conviction to wait for the resolution of his son's case. 

Legal experts noted that Colin Gray's crimes were directly linked to his son's actions in a unique way for Georgia courts. The case is among the first in the nation to seek to hold a parent criminally responsible for allegedly enabling a child’s access to a firearm used in a school shooting. 

Colt Gray's case concluded Tuesday when he pleaded guilty to all 55 counts and received a sentence of life in prison without parole. 

RELATED: Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray gets life without parole

Victim impact statements

What they're saying:

Family members of victims killed in the Apalachee High School shooting gave emotional court testimony Thursday morning, demanding the maximum prison sentence for Colin Gray. 

Judge Primm listened to impact statements from victims’ families during the hearing, including Shayna Aspinwall, who lost her husband, Richard Aspinwall, a math teacher and football coach, in the attack. 

Shayna Aspinwall told the court she suffers from PTSD and can no longer teach, leaving her as a solo parent to their two young daughters. 

"Our daughters must grow up without their father," Aspinwall testified. "They will miss his guidance, his encouragement, his hugs, and all the milestones he should have been here to witness birthdays, graduations, weddings, and everyday moments that make up a lifetime will forever be marked by his absence." 

She emphasized that while Colin Gray did not pull the trigger, his failure as a responsible gun owner directly caused the tragedy. Other supporters and family members submitted written letters to the judge.

What we don't know:

Court officials have not yet confirmed the exact sentence length the judge will issue during Thursday's proceedings. 

See all coverage of the Apalachee High School shooting