In early March, the Apalachee shooter’s father Colin Gray was convicted of providing a gun to Colt Gray, making him the third American parent ever found guilty for the responsibility of their child’s shooting. 

The charges primarily related to giving his son a gun, despite knowledge of previous shooting threats made by his son, which resulted in a law enforcement visit. Significantly, he was convicted of second-degree murder.

The Oxford High School shooting was similar; with Jennifer and James Crumbley both charged for failing to safely secure their firearm. However, they received charges of involuntary manslaughter, as opposed to second-degree murder. Therefore, the conviction on second-degree murder sets a new precedent for the responsibility of parents in school shootings for their underaged children. 

One particular debate about mass shootings – particularly for school shootings – is where the responsibility falls. Increasingly, the blame has shifted to parents. For school shooters under 18, 75% of those obtain a gun from their home or close relative. 

Colt Gray, in addition to previous threats, was known by his family to have a fascination with other shooters. He reportedly had a shrine dedicated to the Parkland High School shooter Nicolas Cruz, in addition to Adam Lanza and Payton Gendron. Both his aunt and grandmother prior had argued for limiting his gun access due to both suicidal and homicidal thoughts. 

Despite this, five months after the visit from the FBI, Collin Gray gifted his son with the AR-15 used in the shooting. As a result, he received 29 charges including second-degree murder, manslaughter, second-degree cruelty to children, and reckless conduct.