Colin Gray, 54, is also facing multiple other charges in connection with the shooting allegedly carried out by his teenage son.
The father of a 14-year-old boy accused of shooting dead four people and wounding nine others at a Georgia high school on Sept. 4 has been arrested and is facing multiple charges, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced.
Colin Gray, the 54-year-old father of the suspect, Colt Gray, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, authorities said in a post on X on Sept. 5.
In a follow-up post, police said the suspect’s father “knowingly allowed his son, Colt, to have the weapon.”
“This is a very difficult time for students and parents and many are afraid,” police said. “You’ve likely seen reports of incidents of other students making threats today at schools around GA. In each of these incidents, police took charges and made arrests as we take each matter seriously.”
In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent.
It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison. Malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life.
Involuntary manslaughter means that someone unintentionally causes the death of another person.
It’s not clear if Colin Gray has legal representation.
The charges against the father come after his son was charged with four counts of felony murder in connection with the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder that killed two students and two teachers.
The four victims have been identified as Richard Aspinwall, 39, Christina Irimie, 53, Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14.
At least nine other people were wounded in the attack and transported to hospital for treatment but are expected to recover, police said.
Suspect ‘Made Threats’ Online
So far, no motive has been established for the shooting, and police have not said how the suspect obtained the gun.