Colin Gray gave his 14-year-old son an AR-15 for Christmas. That rifle killed four people at Apalachee High School. On Thursday, a Georgia court gave Colin Gray 15 years for murder.
He didn’t pull the trigger. He is still going to prison.
It’s only the third time a US parent has been convicted for a school shooting committed by their child - but legal experts are calling it a turning point. Holding parents responsible for giving their children reckless access to guns is a healthy development. If this message lands with even a fraction of US gun owners, some innocents might not get shot.
That is a low bar. The US keeps clearing lower ones.
The full story is worth your time - ABC News (Australia) has good detail on how this legal strategy is developing and what the experts make of it.
Having mentioned school shootings earlier in the week I thought this was a worthy followup. I really don’t want to develop a habit of mentioning USA’s gun violence tragedies. Only US citizens can make a difference here. I sincerely wish things will change, but there are few signs they will. So sad.