Georgia School Shooting Case: Colin Gray Conviction and the Limits of Parental Liability

This week, a Georgia jury convicted Colin Gray of 27 criminal charges — including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter — over his role in facilitating gun access for his teenage son, who subsequently committed a mass shooting at his high school. It’s one of only a few instances in which parents have been held criminally liable with respect to their child’s commission of a mass shooting inside of a school or elsewhere, and the first time a conviction has included a murder charge.

To be clear, it certainly feels like some manner of criminal accountability for Gray was justified under the circumstances. Gray knew that his teenage son was mentally unwell and in need of serious help. He knew that this mental instability made his son prone to lashing out in physically violent ways. He had been warned, specifically, that there were serious concerns as to whether the teen — who had a shrine to a well-known school shooter in his bedroom — might have threatened online to commit a school shooting.

About the Author

Amy Swearer

Amy Swearer is a senior legal fellow in the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law at Advancing American Freedom.

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This week, a Georgia jury convicted Colin Gray of 27 criminal charges — including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter — over his role in facilitating gun access for his teenage son, who subsequently committed a mass shooting at his high school. It’s one of only a few instances in which parents have been held criminally liable with respect to their child’s commission of a mass shooting inside of a school or elsewhere, and the first time a conviction has included a murder charge.

To be clear, it certainly feels like some manner of criminal accountability for Gray was justified under the circumstances. Gray knew that his teenage son was mentally unwell and in need of serious help. He knew that this mental instability made his son prone to lashing out in physically violent ways. He had been warned, specifically, that there were serious concerns as to whether the teen — who had a shrine to a well-known school shooter in his bedroom — might have threatened online to commit a school shooting.