US courts jailing parents of child school shooters marks legal turning point, experts say
Colin Gray, the father of the Apalachee High School shooter, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in his son's crimes. Prosecutors successfully argued that he provided the weapon and ignored clear signs of his son's mental health struggles.
Why it matters
This case represents a significant legal precedent in the United States regarding parental accountability for the criminal actions of their children.
Colin Gray, the father of the Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, has been jailed for 15 years for his negligence in abetting the crimes of his son. ( AP: Supplied/Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution )
Link copied Share Share article For the third time in US history, a parent has been held criminally responsible for the murderous actions of their child.
Colin Gray, 55, was sentenced in the state of Georgia on Thursday local time to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder, two days after his son Colt Gray was jailed for life over a school shooting.
Prosecutors argued the father abetted his son's crimes by providing him with the weapon he ultimately used to kill four people and injure nine others.
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