Teenager charged with quadruple murder at Georgia high school, father appears in court

The teenager accused of murdering two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school appeared in court for the first time Friday morning.

The 14-year-old was charged with four counts of murder two days after his arrest for the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. He faces life in prison for each count. A judge said he would not face the death penalty because of his age.

In court, the teenager refused a request for bail. Despite his age, he is being charged as an adult.

Relatives of the victims sat in the first row of the courtroom. They were visibly moved, one of them held a stuffed animal in his hand.

The suspected shooter's father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, also appeared in court Friday, an hour after his son. He was arrested Thursday in connection with the shooting after giving his son a military-style assault rifle for Christmas.

Four cases of manslaughter, two cases of premeditated murder and eight cases of child abuse were charged against the father.

“These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a firearm,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said at a press conference Thursday evening.

The charges against him carry a maximum sentence of up to 180 years.

The father also did not submit an application for bail in court.

Preliminary hearings were scheduled for the teenager and his father at 8:30 a.m. on December 4, but in separate courts.

This is the first time in Georgia that a parent has been charged in connection with a school shooting, and the second time in the United States.

The first parents to be held criminally responsible in the United States were Jennifer and James Crumbley of Michigan, who were sentenced to 10 years in prison after their son, Ethan Crumbley, killed four students and injured seven others at Oxford High School in 2022. Their son was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

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In addition to the four people killed in the Georgia shooting, nine others were injured.

Authorities said Thursday that several people were still hospitalized following the shooting. All are expected to make a full recovery and be able to leave the hospital.

In 2023, Colin Gray told a Jackson County Sheriff's investigator that his son had struggled with bullying at school and had problems after his parents separated. According to interview transcripts, Gray said his son, who was familiar with guns and hunting, “knows the seriousness of guns and what they can do and how to use and not use them.”

When authorities questioned him in 2023, the teenager denied making any online shooting threats.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said there is no reason to file charges against the teenager or his father in 2023.

“We didn't fail here at all,” Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum told the Associated Press. “We did everything we could with what we had at the time.”

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