Georgia School Shooting: Father Charged with Manslaughter and Child Abuse

By Max Mazza, BBC News

Georgia investigators have charged Collin Gray, 54, with manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of child abuse in connection with the shooting at a high school in the southern US state of Georgia that left four students and a teacher dead.

His son, Colt Gray, who carried out the shooting, has already been charged with four counts of murder, and authorities say they intend to treat the 14-year-old as an adult.

The incident occurred on the morning of the 4th at Apalachee High School in Winder, Barrow County, Georgia, near Atlanta. Two students and two teachers were killed, and nine were injured.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Chris Hosey said at a press conference on the evening of the 5th that the charges against Collin Gray are “directly related to the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.”

How Did the Shooter Obtain the Gun?

BBC’s US partner CBS News reported, citing law enforcement sources, that authorities are investigating whether the semi-automatic firearm used in the shooting was purchased by Collin as a gift for his son Colt in December 2023.

CNN reported that the weapon was a Christmas present for his son, Colt.

In May 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) dispatched local sheriff’s deputies to question the Grays after a threatening message about a school shooting was posted on the social media platform Discord.

Colt, who was 13 at the time, “calmly” told deputies that he had deleted his account because it had been repeatedly hacked, and that he would not “shoot up a school,” the FBI said in a statement on Wednesday. During the same interview, his father said they had several hunting rifles in the home, but that his son did not have access to them.

Colin’s father told police that his son was being bullied at school and was struggling to cope with his parents’ separation. According to the investigation, Colt was living with his father while his parents were in divorce mediation.

Father and son often went hunting together, and Collin told police he took photos of his son with deer blood on his cheek.

Regarding the victims of the incident, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said at a press conference on the 5th that all nine injured people are expected to make a full recovery.

Some of the injured have already been released from hospital.