Father who gifted son rifle used in Georgia high school shooting sentenced to 15 years

Colin Gray, who gave his 14-year-old son a rifle as a Christmas gift that was later used in a high school shooting, was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in prison. 

In March, a jury convicted Gray on multiple charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, stemming from his decision to give his son, Colt Gray, a rifle for Christmas. Colt Gray used the gun in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia in 2024. 

Judge Nicholas Primm said that Colin Gray's failure to act against the crimes committed by his son factored into the sentencing decision. A few months before Gray gave his son the weapon, law enforcement had come to their home because the son had threatened to shoot up an elementary school, prosecutors allege, NBC News reported. 

Primm also criticized the elder Gray for failing to get his son counseling and remove guns from the house. 

Colt Gray was sentenced on Tuesday to life without parole.