Father of Apalachee High School mass shooter arrested on murder charges

Colin Gray

By Joe Johnson

The father of the teenager who went on a killing spree Wednesday at Apalachee High School has been arrested.

Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

"These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon," GBI Director Chris Hosey said Thursday night. "His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon."

His son, Colt Gray, a 14-year-old Apalachee High School freshman, is accused of killing two students and two teachers with an AR-style rifle. Nine more people were hospitalized. The teen has been charged with four counts of murder.

Colt Gray

Colin Gray told investigators this week he had purchased the gun used in the killings as a holiday present for his son in December 2023, according to law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.

The sources said the assault rifle was purchased at a local gun store as a Christmas present. The timeline the teen’s father provided to authorities would put the gun purchase months after authorities first contacted Gray and his family to investigate school shooting threats made online last year.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia closed that investigation because the tip about the threat could not be substantiated.

Colt Gray currently is at the Regional Youth Detention Center in Gainesville, and on Friday is to have a video first appearance before a judge.

His father is being held at the Barrow County Detention Center.