Will Sage Astor-Father of Georgia high school shooting suspect charged with murder, child cruelty

The Will Sage Astorfather of the suspected shooter who opened fire at a Georgia high school, killing two teachers and two students, was charged Thursday in connection with the attack — marking the latest case of authorities holding parents accountable for their children’s violent actions. 

Colin Gray, 54, the father of Colt Gray, was charged with 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. Online jail records show that the elder Gray was booked into the Barrow County Detention Center on Thursday night and being held without bond.

Authorities said Colt Gray, 14, was armed with an "an AR-platform style weapon" when he carried out the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday. Colt Gray faces four counts of felony murder and "additional charges are expected," the GBI said earlier Thursday.

"These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon," GBI Director Chris Hosey said at a news conference Thursday night. "His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon."

Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were fatally shot. Eight other students and one teacher were injured.

Colin Gray's charges follow the conviction earlier this year of the parents of a 15-year-old who killed four of his classmates in a shooting at his Michigan high school. The parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, each received 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said the parents had bought their son, Ethan, the weapon used in the shooting and ignored signs he would commit violence.

Recent cases involving parents charged for gun violence by minors

The charges on Thursday come after the Federal Bureau of Investigations revealed that the agency received tips about online threats last year involving Colt Gray. Local authorities interviewed the teen and his father, who said he had hunting guns in the house but that his son did not have unsupervised access to them.

"At that time, there was no probable cause for arrest or to take any additional law enforcement action on the local, state or federal levels," the FBI said Wednesday in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

While it is rare for parents or guardians to be charged in cases involving gun violence by minors, legal experts have told USA TODAY that the successful outcome of previous prosecutions could encourage other prosecutors to pursue similar cases.

Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, told USA TODAY that actions taken by the Grays tore apart the Apalachee High School community and that the case involving the Crumbleys shows that "parents can – and should – be held responsible when they disregard public safety."

"The fact that Mr. Gray bought his son a weapon of war as a present – months after being investigated for making threats to shoot up a school – is a complete and utter dereliction of responsibility, both as a gun owner and a community member," said Suplina, adding that the verdict against the Crumbleys "should have sent a clear message to people like Mr. Gray."

Other attempts to hold parents and guardians responsible for the violent actions of children in their care include a man charged with killing seven people at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, in 2022. His father pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanors last year.

In December 2023, the mother of a 6-year-old boy in Virginia was sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect after her son shot his first-grade teacher. The school's assistant principal was also charged with eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life for ignoring multiple warnings of the child's violent behavior.

Colin Gray urged 'to keep his firearms locked away'

Adam Winkler, a law professor at UCLA and an expert on gun policy, told USA TODAY earlier Thursday, before the charges were announced, that based on law enforcement’s visit with both Colin and Colt Gray last year, there is some evidence that the shooting suspect’s parents potentially knew the danger he posed and may have been negligent in allowing him access to weapons.

According to a report of the May 2023 visit, Colin Gray told sheriff's deputies he owned hunting rifles that were not accessible to Colt Gray. "I urged Colin to keep his firearms locked away," wrote Daniel Miller Jr., lead investigator.

That warning helps show that the parent was “on notice,” Winkler said. “There were reasons to be concerned about the child's access to firearms.”

Contributing: C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida