The father of a girl who was murdered during the 2018 Parkland school shooting has reacted with anger over claims the Georgia shooting suspect was gifted a gun for Christmas.
Colt Gray, 14, allegedly opened fire at Apalachee High School on Wednesday, killing two students and two teachers.
He has been charged with four counts of felony murder and is expected to be tried as an adult.
His father Colin Gray, 54, has also been arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Colin Gray reportedly told investigators he had bought an AR-15-style rifle used in Wednesday’s shooting as a Christmas present for his son in December 2023, law enforcement sources told CNN.
Mugshots of Colin Gray and Colt Gray following their arrests. Colt Gray was reportedly bought an AR-15-style rifle for Christmas, according to law enforcement sources.
Barrow County Sheriff’s Office
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jamie was murdered when a former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018, reacted with fury to the claims.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “THE FATHER BOUGHT THE F***ING GUN AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AFTER THE VISIT FROM THE FBI!!! This should be the moment that everyone can acknowledge the 2A, both gun rights activists and gun violence prevention activists, but also come to the realization that gun rights should never get in the way of preventing gun violence.
“This statement is not anti-gun, it is anti-gun violence. This should be a moment of common ground. Can we all agree that is not rational and this was preventable? Can we all agree that this father should face criminal charges? Can we all agree that a red flag law was warranted?”
He added: “Because this is Georgia, there was no red flag law. I hope they find a way to hold the father to account. He should rot in prison. My fight to reduce gun violence is because I truly believe that we can and must do more to stop these instances of gun violence and that we can do so in a way that is not an affront to gun owners or the 2A.”
This is a breaking story. More to follow.
