Father who bought AR-15 for Georgia school shooter learns fate in first-of-its-kind conviction

Colin Gray, the begetter of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, was sentenced Thursday to 15 years successful situation aft a Georgia justice said helium "failed arsenic a parent" by ignoring escalating informing signs earlier the 2024 schoolhouse massacre.

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced Gray, 55, to concurrent situation presumption aft telling him "the informing lights were flashing brighter and brighter" earlier the shooting and that helium failed to region his son's entree to firearms oregon get him needed intelligence wellness treatment.

"It is wide you failed arsenic a parent," Primm said earlier handing down the sentence. "The value of your crimes is tethered and tied to the acts of idiosyncratic else, your son."

A assemblage convicted Colin Gray successful March connected 27 counts, including second-degree execution and involuntary manslaughter, aft prosecutors argued helium gave his lad the AR-15-style firearm utilized successful the onslaught contempt mounting concerns astir the teen's intelligence health. He is the archetypal genitor of a schoolhouse shooter to beryllium convicted of murder.

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Colin Gray is escorted from Barrow County Superior Court aft being sentenced to 15 years successful situation for his relation successful the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting connected July 30, 2026, successful Winder, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Pool Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

The sentencing came aft Colt Gray pleaded blameworthy to each 55 charges against him and was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

During Thursday's hearing, victims' household members urged the justice to enforce the maximum sentence, describing the lasting symptom caused by the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting.

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Colin Gray, the begetter of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, was sentenced to 15 years successful prison. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Shayna Aspinwall, the widow of slain teacher Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, told the tribunal she suffers from PTSD and is raising the couple's 2 daughters unsocial aft her husband's death.

"Our daughters indispensable turn up without their father," Aspinwall testified. "They volition miss his guidance, his encouragement, his hugs, and each the milestones helium should person been present to witnesser – birthdays, graduations, weddings, and mundane moments that marque up a beingness volition everlastingly beryllium marked by his absence."

She argued that portion Colin Gray did not propulsion the trigger, his nonaccomplishment arsenic a genitor and weapon proprietor helped marque the calamity possible.

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Colin Gray sits with his attorneys during his sentencing proceeding successful Barrow County Superior Court earlier receiving a 15-year situation condemnation connected July 30, 2026, successful Winder, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Pool Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

In explaining the sentence, Primm said Colin Gray's crimes stemmed from transgression negligence due to the fact that helium failed to intervene contempt evident informing signs. The justice said Colin Gray could person locked the family's firearms, removed the ammunition, oregon stored the weapons elsewhere portion seeking intelligence wellness attraction for his son, telling him that had helium taken those steps, "you wouldn't beryllium present today."

The shooting astatine Apalachee High School successful Barrow County killed teachers Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, on with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, some 14. Nine different radical were injured.

Prosecutors said Colin Gray ignored informing signs astir his son's deteriorating intelligence wellness and continued providing him with entree to firearms, including the AR-15-style firearm authorities said was utilized successful the attack.

Gray is among a tiny fig of U.S. parents criminally charged successful transportation with a shooting carried retired by their child, and the archetypal successful Georgia.

Friday marks Apalachee High School's archetypal time backmost for the caller schoolhouse year.

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Fox News Digital antecedently reported that Colt Gray pleaded blameworthy aft initially pleading not blameworthy to the charges. Before accepting the plea, Judge Primm questioned the teen to guarantee helium understood the consequences, with Gray responding, "Yes, your honor," to each question.

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond, Michael Dorgan, The Associated Press contributed to this report.