The father, Colin Gray, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the authorities said. An official said the charges stemmed from him “knowingly allowing his son” to have a weapon.
Here’s the latest on the investigation.
Colin Gray, the father of the 14-year-old accused of killing two teachers and two students at his Georgia high school, was arrested and charged on Thursday with second-degree murder in connection with the state’s deadliest school shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
In addition to two counts of second-degree murder, Mr. Gray, 54, was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to a statement. At a news conference on Thursday night, Chris Hosey, the G.B.I. director, said the charges were “directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.” He declined to offer much more detail, other than to note that Mr. Gray was in custody.
The arrest came after new details emerged on Thursday about the teenage suspect’s interest in previous massacres and his father’s ownership of several guns, including a military-style rifle like the one used in the attack.
Two family members told The New York Times that the youth, who has been charged with four counts of felony murder, had a troubled home life. “My grandson did what he did because of the environment that he lived in,” said his grandfather, Charles Polhamus. An aunt, Annie Brown, texted: “The adults in his life let him down.”
There were also growing questions about potentially missed opportunities to prevent the attack. Sheriff’s officers interviewed the teenager over a year ago about school shooting threats made on social media but found no definitive evidence that the boy had posted the messages, according to an investigative report obtained by The Times.
Here’s what else to know:
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The victims: Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14-year-old students at Apalachee High School, were killed, along with Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, who were teachers, state officials said. The nine other people in hospitals with injuries were all expected to survive. Read more about the victims.
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The suspected shooter: Officials charged the accused shooter, identified as Colt Gray, 14, with four counts of felony murder and said he could face additional charges. His first court appearance will be Friday at 8:30 a.m. The boy’s aunt, Ms. Brown, said via text that her nephew “was actively seeking help” for his mental health.
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The weapon: The shooter used a black AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, officials said in arrest warrants. Records from a 2022 eviction obtained by The Times show that the suspect’s father had owned a black AR-15 at the time. It was later returned to him. AR-15s are one of the most common weapons used in mass shootings.
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The investigation: The police found evidence of the suspect’s interest in mass shootings during a search of his room on Wednesday, according to the two law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. The 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, which left 17 people dead, drew his particular interest.
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Previous encounter: Mr. Gray told sheriff’s investigators last year that his son did not have “unfettered” access to firearms. He said he would be “mad as hell” if the teenager had made online threats about a school shooting, because “then all the guns will go away,” according to an interview transcript obtained by The Times. Read more about the interview.