Father of Georgia school shooting suspect arrested, charged with murder

globalnews.ca:

The father of the 14-year-old suspect accused of killing four people on Wednesday during a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., has been arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

State authorities announced the charges against Colin Gray, 54, on Thursday. He was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children.

Officials said on Thursday the charges were laid because the father “knowingly” allowed his son, 14-year-old Colt Gray, to possess the military-style rifle used in the shooting.

“His charges are directly connected to the actions of his son,” said Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, during Thursday’s evening news conference.

If convicted on all counts, Colin could face a maximum prison sentence of 180 years.

The charges against Colin are the most severe ever imposed on the parent of a suspected school shooter in the U.S.

Colt was arrested after authorities said he used an AR-15-style rifle to open fire inside Apalachee High School, about an hour’s drive from Atlanta. He has been accused of killing two students and two teachers, as well as injuring nine others.

The teen has been charged with four felony counts of murder and will be tried as an adult. A potential motive is not clear.

Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said the suspect will face additional charges in the coming days.

Prior to Wednesday’s shooting, Colt was already on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s radar.

Investigators said that in 2023, they traced online threats about executing a school shooting to Colt, who denied the allegations. The posts, which authorities said were made to the platform Discord, contained photos of guns.

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