KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The father of the teen suspected of fatally shooting four people and wounding several others at a Georgia high school made his first court appearance Friday after being taken into custody Thursday. Colin Gray, 54, is facing more than a dozen charges stemming from the Wednesday shooting.
Gray has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and eight counts of child endangerment . His son has been charged with four counts of murder. According to 6 News legal analyst Greg Isaacs, parents being charged after a school shooting is a growing trend.
Georgia school shooting: What we know about the victims “What we are seeing is a trend nationally to hold parents responsible in what I would characterize as extreme cases,” Isaacs said.
The first example came with the Crumbley family following a school shooting in Michigan. Both parents in that case were charged and found guilty . Isaacs said the case in Winder, Georgia is similar to the 2021 Michigan school shooting.
“This is a case where another child had a cry for help,” Isaacs said. “The father a few months after a school shooting threat was investigated bought his son an assault rifle.”
Robertsville Middle student arrested, accused of threatening the school According to Isaacs, Gray is facing two counts of second-degree murder because he put the weapon in the hands of someone who could be a danger to himself or others.
“That’s a knowing and intentional killing. The warrant says ‘to put a weapon in someone’s hands, Colt, that the father knew to be a danger to himself or others,” Isaacs said. “He’s also facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter and could look up to 180 years.”
He added these types of charges will continue to come up.
“What you’re going to see in extreme cases is prosecutors charge everyone culpable. In this case, it’s the parents,” he said.
Both Gray and his son will stay in custody after their lawyers decided not to seek bail Friday . The cases will be presented to a grand jury and if the grand jury issues indictments for Gray and his son, they will then be scheduled for arraignment.
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