The father of Colt Gray, the suspect in a Georgia high school shooting, has been arrested as investigations into the incident and the family’s involvement continue.
The 14-year-old boy’s father, who is suspected of the shooting which resulted in four deaths and nine injuries at a Georgia school has been apprehended.
It was stated by officials that Colin Gray was aware of the fact that his son, Colt had possession of the weapon used in Wednesday’s assault.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Gray, who is 54 years old, has been accused of four charges related to involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, he faces two counts linked to second-degree murder and eight accusations concerning cruelty towards children.
During a press conference, Chris Hosey, the GBI director stated that Mr. Gray is being charged for knowingly allowing his son Colt to be in possession of a weapon.
Officials have announced that Colt Gray will face trial as an adult on four counts of murder. On Friday morning, he is scheduled to appear via video camera in court.
The assault on Apalachee High School, situated northeast of Atlanta in Winder, rekindled the extensive gun control debate in America after claiming the lives of two educators and two 14-year-old students.
According to investigators, the shooting was executed by Gray Junior using a semiautomatic rifle commonly known as an “AR platform style weapon.”
The manner in which the teenager obtained the weapon remained ambiguous.
CNN reported, based on sources who requested anonymity, that the holiday present purchased by the teenager’s father was an AR-15 style assault rifle.
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According to a social media post on platform X, the GBI has confirmed that the inquiry regarding the Apalachee HS shooting is currently both active and ongoing.
Responsibility of parents
Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were the two students who lost their lives, according to authorities. The incident involved Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53 – both teachers at the school. There were a total of nine people injured in the attack with seven being identified as students; however everyone is expected to fully recover from their injuries.
The role of parents in mass shootings, particularly those committed by minors, has gained significant attention in recent months.
On Thursday, reporters were told by President Joe Biden: “If you have an assault rifle in your home and it’s not secured properly, with a high chance of being accessed by your child – how is that appropriate?”
It is imperative to impose responsibility on parents who allow their children access to these firearms.
The mother and father of a Michigan teenager received 10 to 15 years in prison after being found guilty by jury for manslaughter when their son fatally shot four classmates. This case was significant as it marked the first instance where parents were held accountable, under law, for their child’s involvement in a school shooting.
Gun safety advocates and experts believe that the Michigan case marked a crucial milestone towards ensuring greater accountability among gun-owning parents for the incidents of gun violence perpetrated by their children.
According to research conducted by the US Department of Homeland Security, approximately 75% of school attackers obtained their weapons from their own households.
Over the past twenty years, shootings within schools and colleges in the United States have been numerous. These incidents have sparked a heated argument about gun laws as well as the country’s Second Amendment – which dictates that citizens are entitled to “keep and bear arms”.
