Dad testifies he gave Colton Gray the gun he used in a fatal school shooting to improve his grades

A Georgia father on trial for his son’s deadly school shooting took the stand Friday, telling jurors he gave the teenager the rifle as a Christmas gift to bring them closer together.

Why It Matters: Four people are dead, and now a father’s decision to hand his son a rifle is at the center of a criminal trial — one that could set a precedent for how far parental responsibility extends in school shootings.

What’s Happening: Colin Gray testified that he gave his then-14-year-old son, Colt Gray, the rifle as a Christmas present, hoping it would motivate the boy to do well in school and give them something to bond over. Prosecutors say that gift became the weapon used in the September 4, 2024, attack at Apalachee High School in Winder that killed two students and two teachers and wounded several others.

Between the Lines: Colin Gray broke down on the stand when his attorney asked whether he ever saw warning signs that his son could carry out a mass shooting.

• Colt’s mother, Marcee Gray, testified she urged her husband to secure the guns before the shooting. Witnesses say Colt kept the rifle in his bedroom in the days leading up to the attack.
• Prosecutors say Colt kept what they describe as a “shrine” to Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz on a wall near his computer at home.

Zoom Out: This trial is part of a growing national pattern of prosecutors charging parents after their children carry out deadly shootings. Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder. His son faces 55 counts, including murder charges in all four deaths.