Rifle Used in Crime "Last Year's Christmas Gift"
Shooting Suspect's Father Charged with Negligent Homicide and Second-Degree Murder
On the 4th (local time), the father of a 14-year-old shooter who killed four people at a high school near Atlanta, USA, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and child abuse. The father is accused of buying the firearm used in the incident as a Christmas gift for his son last year.
On the 5th, AP News and others reported that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested and charged Colt Gray's (14) father, Colin Gray (54), with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of child abuse. Chris Hosie, GBI director, explained, "Colin's charges are directly related to his son's actions and allowing his son to possess the weapon."
On the 4th (local time), local police and sheriffs responded to the Appalachian High School in Winder near Atlanta, Georgia, where a shooting incident occurred, assessing the situation. [Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]
CNN cited statements from two key sources involved in the investigation, reporting that Colt Gray stated the gun used in the crime was purchased by his father Colin as a Christmas gift in December last year. Another source told CNN that the AR-15 style rifle used in the shooting was bought by Colin at a local gun store as a Christmas present.
The second-degree murder charge applied to Colin is used when a person commits second-degree child abuse that results in the death of a third party. In Georgia, second-degree murder carries a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 30 years. The Washington Post (WP) reported that Colin's charges are the most serious ever applied to parents of school shooters.
Colt, a student at Appalachian High School where the shooting occurred, is accused of shooting and killing four people?two teachers and two students?with a semi-automatic assault rifle on the 4th, and injuring nine others. In the U.S., minors are generally tried in juvenile or family courts, but in cases of serious crimes, they may be tried as adults in regular courts depending on the court's decision. Authorities stated that Colt has been charged with murder and will be tried as an adult in a regular court.
On the 4th (local time), at Appalachian High School in Winder near Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where a shooting incident occurred, a female student is holding a sign that reads "Our schools must not become graveyards." [Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, CNN reported that despite Colt having been investigated by authorities over allegations that he posted online threats about shooting at school in the past, his father appears to have bought him a gun a few months later.
In May last year, the FBI investigated Colt and his father after receiving a tip about a threat posted on the online platform Discord predicting a shooting at a local middle school. During the investigation, Colt denied writing the post and claimed the Discord account was hacked. Colin also stated that although he owned hunting rifles at home, his son could not access them without supervision. He added that Colt was struggling due to his parents' divorce and was often bullied at school. The father and son also reportedly went hunting together and shot guns occasionally. Ultimately, authorities found no evidence proving Colt wrote the post and closed the case.
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