THE dad of alleged school shooter Colt Gray faces murder charges in an unprecedented legal move – but he might avoid spending the rest of his life behind bars, an expert has said.
Colin Gray, 54, was charged in connection to the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, that killed four and injured nine more on Wednesday.
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Police slapped Colin with multiple charges after learning that he bought his 14-year-old son the AR-15-style gun allegedly used to carry out his horrific rampage at AHS, located about an hour outside of Atlanta.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told The U.S. Sun that the purchase was a dangerous decision that likely led prosecutors to charge him.
“The basis is what we call depraved-heart murder,” Rahmani told The U.S. Sun.
“You’re playing Russian roulette with people’s lives – that is depraved heart murder.”
READ MORE ON THE SHOOTING
What we know so far…
- Four people are dead, and nine others were injured, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations confirmed.
- Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were identified as those killed.
- 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray stared blankly in his mugshot.
- The alleged gunman appeared stone-faced in court as the judge took the death penalty off the table.
- His dad was hit with murder charges and appeared devastated in court.
- Gray and his dad were interviewed by the FBI a year before when authorities received online threats of a possible school shooting.
- Gray claimed he was hacked on Discord when interviewed about the previous threats.
- The alleged shooter’s dad boasted to investigators about Gray killing his first deer on a hunting trip.
- A classmate said Gray was blocked from entering a classroom by a student who spotted his gun.
- AHS teachers alerted cops to the scene by pressing hidden panic buttons on their ID badges.
- Devastating texts revealed student’s fear.
Rahmani refers to a type of killing where the accused acted with an indifference to human life that resulted in death.
Colin and Colt both appeared in court for the first time on Friday, showing vastly different behaviors.
Colt is charged with four felony counts of murder. He’ll be tried as an adult.
The teen appeared stone-faced and answered quietly when Judge Currie Mingledorff told him that he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The judge originally told Colt that he might face the death penalty for the charges against him, but later corrected himself as minors can’t be put to death.
Colt is accused of shooting and killing two teachers and two students, leaving nine hospitalized but expected to survive.
The victims were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
Meanwhile, the alleged shooter’s dad rocked back and forth as he faced the judge and appeared to be crying as he signed the charges against him.
Timeline of Apalachee High School shooting
Below is a timeline of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4:
8:30 am – First period begins at AHS
9:45 am – Suspect Colt Gray leaves algebra class, according to his classmate
10:20 am – Police start to receive calls about an active shooter
10:23 am – Law enforcement officers are dispatched to school and arrive in minutes
10:45 am – AHS sends message to parents saying the school is in a hard lockdown
11:20 am – Students are evacuated to the football field
11:56 am – Barrow County Sheriff’s Office reports a suspect is in custody
2:13 pm – Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirms four people were killed and nine were hospitalized with injuries
‘UNCHARTED WATERS’
Colin Gray was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
The second-degree murder charges against Colin mark a first in legal history as the mom and dad of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley were the first parents convicted in a US mass school shooting, but they were only charged with involuntary manslaughter.
“This is all really uncharted legal waters,” Rahmani said.
“You have two cases where the parents are affirmatively arming their kids.
“That’s just beyond the pale and beyond reckless,” he said, adding that the behavior was “egregious.”
UP TO 180 YEARS BEHIND BARS
Judge Mingledorff told Colin that he could face up to 180 years in prison for the charges against him.
Rahmani, the president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers, told The U.S. Sun that he doesn’t think the dad will face even half of the maximum years behind bars.
“He didn’t pull the trigger,” the legal expert explained.
“I don’t think he’s actually gonna get a life sentence or anything near it.”
The lawyer predicted that Colin will more likely get between 20 and 30 years in prison for the alleged crimes.
“I don’t think there’s gonna be 180 years or even 100 years or even 50 years,” he added.
PAST VISIT WITH THE FBI
Rahmani added that the case is made more complicated by the fact that the FBI was made aware of the father and son over a year ago.
Officials interviewed the Grays after violent threats made on Discord were traced back to the duo.
The FBI said in May 2023, the bureau received “several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.”
Colt, who was 13 at the time, denied that he made the online threats and told investigators that he might have been hacked on Discord.
You’re playing Russian roulette with people’s lives – that is depraved heart murder.
Neama Rahmani
However, Rahmani said the interaction with law enforcement officials should have made his dad reconsider getting the gun, which he reportedly bought for Colt as a Christmas present.
“The danger was apparent and he still bought him a very dangerous weapon,” Rahmani said.
“So that’s the Russian roulette that we’re talking about. There’s not a whole lot of precedent for this but this is a very egregious case.
“I do believe the charges are appropriate.”
Both Colin and Colt’s preliminary hearings are scheduled for December 4.
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