Authorities in Georgia say the father of the teen charged with opening fire at a high school has been arrested on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.
Colin Gray, 54, the father of the alleged shooter, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
The man is alleged to have “knowingly” allowed his son to possess a weapon.
GBI Director, Chris Hosey said at an evening news conference that these charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon, His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.
In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life. Involuntary manslaughter means that someone unintentionally causes the death of another person.
The 14-year-old suspect, Colt Gray was charged as an adult in the shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School outside Atlanta were four people were killed and nine wounded.
The teen also denied threatening to carry out a school shooting when authorities interviewed him last year about a menacing post on the social media site Discord.
The younger Gray was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and was being held without bond at Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice communications director Glenn Allen said on Thursday.
His arraignment is set for Friday morning before a Georgia Superior Court judge in Barrow County.
