Colin Gray was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for his role in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School. He appeared at the Barrow County Courthouse before Judge Nicholas Primm, who imposed the sentence after Gray was found guilty on 27 counts.
The sentence covers second-degree murder and other charges tied to a shooting that killed two students and two teachers. Gray had admitted to providing the assault rifle used by his then-14-year-old son, Colt Gray, in the attack.
Judge Nicholas Primm sentencing
Judge Nicholas Primm said the case was “the first case of its kind tried in Georgia” and “the second case of its kind” he was aware of in the nation. He told Colin Gray, “the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter” and said that if Gray had used gun locks or removed the ammunition from his house, “you wouldn’t be here today.”
Primm also said, “What we’re really referencing is this new phenomenon of parents being charged in conjunction with crimes that their children are committing,” and added, “It’s a divisive case.” He told Gray, “You didn’t intend to commit these crimes that you’ve been convicted of, but the loss here is profound,” while adding, “But I still have to distinguish your acts from the malignant heart and the acts that Colt Gray committed upon the Apalachee school.”
March verdict and Tuesday sentence
The jury needed fewer than two hours in March to return guilty verdicts against Colin Gray on 27 counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, cruelty to children in the second degree and reckless conduct. The quick verdict closed the guilt phase before Thursday’s sentencing and set up the punishment decision before Judge Nicholas Primm.
Colt Gray pleaded guilty to all 55 counts against him and was convicted of murder and aggravated assault. Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced him to life in prison without parole on Tuesday, leaving the father’s punishment as the last major sentencing step in the case.
Chris Hobbs defense argument
Defense attorney Chris Hobbs said, “We understand the gravity of this situation. Four people are gone, and nothing the court can do today can change that. But the question today is narrower, and in some ways harder -- what does justice require when a father’s negligence and a son’s concealed intent meet on a single morning?” He described the matter as “the first case of its kind tried in Georgia” while asking for 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors asked for 80 years, and Primm settled on 15. The sentence leaves Colin Gray serving a term far shorter than the state sought, while Colt Gray is already serving life without parole for the shooting that began in September 2024.
