Colin Gray Guilty of Murder: First Parent Convicted for Child's School Shooting in Georgia History
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 911 Ratings
🗓️ 8 March 2026
⏱️ 37 minutes
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Summary
The jury needed less than two hours. Colin Gray is guilty of second-degree murder on all 29 counts—the first parent in Georgia history convicted for a school shooting committed by his child.
The evidence was overwhelming. The FBI warned Colin Gray in 2023 after his son threatened to shoot up a school online. His response? Buy the fourteen-year-old an AR-15 for Christmas seven months later. No safe. No lock. The rifle stayed in Colt Gray's bedroom next to a shrine of Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz—which Colin Gray claimed he thought was "the guy from Green Day."
His own family sealed the conviction. His daughter testified he asked her to lie to investigators. His estranged wife said she begged him to lock up the guns. Weeks before the Apalachee High School shooting, Colt texted his father: "Whenever something happens just know the blood is on your hands." Colin Gray convinced himself it meant something else.
The morning of the shooting, Colt sent goodbye texts. Colin Gray read them. He didn't call the school. Didn't leave work. Stopped at QuikTrip for a drink on the way home while two teachers and two students lay dead.
Colin Gray took the stand as his only defense witness. He cried. He swore he never saw the evil coming. The jury rejected that entirely—guilty on every count in under two hours.
Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the defense strategy that failed, the testimony that sealed Colin Gray's fate, and whether this verdict creates a new legal standard for parental accountability or remains an outlier for extreme facts. The Crumbleys got manslaughter in Michigan. Georgia got murder. The rules just changed.
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Transcript
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| 0:30.5 | If you're into true crime, not just the headlines, but the human stories behind them, |
| 0:35.1 | join us at Crimecom Birmingham, an intimate one-day event on April 25th, |
| 0:39.5 | featuring in-depth sessions with investigators, creators and the families impacted by crime. With just |
| 0:45.0 | 200 attendees, you'll also share breakfast and lunch with the speakers, giving you the chance to spend |
| 0:49.9 | time with the people shaping the world of true crime crimecom Birmingham is partnered by the |
| 0:54.5 | true crime channel for 10% off go to crimecon.com.com.com and use the code Birmingham at checkout. |
| 1:00.8 | This is the big breakdown. A long look back at some of the biggest stories we're covering for you |
| 1:06.1 | at the Hidden Killers podcast and True Crime Today. |
| 1:16.8 | This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Bruske and Robin Drink. |
| 1:22.2 | Let's go over to another case that just wrapped up. |
| 1:29.7 | Closing arguments have finished and now a verdict is in literally right as we're jumping on the air here today. |
| 1:36.8 | Colin Gray has been found guilty. After two weeks of testimony, one defense witness, the defendant himself, and now a jury has decided that the father does bear criminal responsibility for his |
| 1:43.2 | son's rampage at Appalachie High. |
| 1:46.2 | Bob Mata is with us to discuss. |
| 1:49.4 | Bob, I know you've been covering this over on your channel at Defense Diaries. |
| 1:53.5 | This is a big deal. |
... |
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