The father of the teenage shooter at a school in Georgia has been arrested: new questions about accountability
7 september 2024 в 00:13
In a historic decision, the father of the 14-year-old suspect in the killing of four people and the injuring of nine others at a Georgia school was arrested, raising even more questions about accountability in such tragedies.
Colin Gray, a 54-year-old father, is facing the most serious charges ever brought against a parent of an alleged school shooter: four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
«These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son Colt to possess a weapon», - said Chris Houser, director of the GBI, at a press conference.
Colt Gray, the 14-year-old son accused of four murders, is accused of using a semi-automatic assault rifle to kill two students and two teachers on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
The two identified slain students were Mason Shermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. The two teachers were Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. Nine people were injured, including seven students, all of whom are expected to make a full recovery.
Law enforcement officials and family members noted warning signs before Wednesday’s attack. A year ago, local investigators questioned Gray and his son about alleged online threats that the teenager supposedly made about a school shooting, which Colt denied. This week, the boy’s aunt, Annie Brown, told The Washington Post that the teenager had been «begging» adults around him for mental health support in recent months.
Before the announcement on Thursday, the teenager’s grandfather, Charles Polhamus, expressed his opinion that Colin should be charged along with his son. «If he didn’t have that damn gun», - Polhamus said, «he wouldn’t have gone and killed anyone».
Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith clarified the charges against Colin on Friday, explaining that «Second-degree murder is different in Georgia than in other states. It’s a relatively new charge specifically aimed at cruelty to children in the second degree. If you commit cruelty to children in the second degree that results in death, that’s second-degree murder», - he told CNN.
These charges come five months after Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley became the first in the U.S. to be convicted in connection with a school shooting. They were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for failing to secure the guns at home and disregarding signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health before he killed four students in 2021
Colin Gray, a 54-year-old father, is facing the most serious charges ever brought against a parent of an alleged school shooter: four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
«These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son Colt to possess a weapon», - said Chris Houser, director of the GBI, at a press conference.
Colt Gray, the 14-year-old son accused of four murders, is accused of using a semi-automatic assault rifle to kill two students and two teachers on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
The two identified slain students were Mason Shermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. The two teachers were Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. Nine people were injured, including seven students, all of whom are expected to make a full recovery.
Law enforcement officials and family members noted warning signs before Wednesday’s attack. A year ago, local investigators questioned Gray and his son about alleged online threats that the teenager supposedly made about a school shooting, which Colt denied. This week, the boy’s aunt, Annie Brown, told The Washington Post that the teenager had been «begging» adults around him for mental health support in recent months.
Before the announcement on Thursday, the teenager’s grandfather, Charles Polhamus, expressed his opinion that Colin should be charged along with his son. «If he didn’t have that damn gun», - Polhamus said, «he wouldn’t have gone and killed anyone».
Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith clarified the charges against Colin on Friday, explaining that «Second-degree murder is different in Georgia than in other states. It’s a relatively new charge specifically aimed at cruelty to children in the second degree. If you commit cruelty to children in the second degree that results in death, that’s second-degree murder», - he told CNN.
These charges come five months after Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley became the first in the U.S. to be convicted in connection with a school shooting. They were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for failing to secure the guns at home and disregarding signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health before he killed four students in 2021
© Puhova Marina
