The AR-15 rifle used by 14-year-old Colt Gray in last Wednesday’s deadly school shooting in Georgia was a Christmas gift from his father. According to sources from the New York Post, Colin Gray, the 54-year-old father, admitted this week that he gave the rifle to his son last December. This was just seven months after the police had visited their home to investigate threats the young Colt had made on social media regarding a possible school attack.

At the time of the police visit in May 2023, Colin Gray had informed authorities that while there were shotguns in the home, his son did not have unsupervised access to them. Colt Gray had denied making any threats. Despite this, the police did not pursue the case further due to a lack of probable cause, according to the FBI.

A little over a year later, Colt Gray used the AR-15 to attack Appalachian High School in Winder, killing two classmates, a 39-year-old male teacher, and a 53-year-old female teacher. Eight other students and a teacher were injured before Gray surrendered to the police.

This tragic event adds to the disturbing trend of school shootings in the United States, a phenomenon largely unmatched globally.

Colt Gray faces murder charges and will be tried as an adult, with his arraignment scheduled for today. His father, Colin Gray, was arrested and charged with murder, second-degree murder, and child abuse.

The issue of parental responsibility in juvenile crimes has gained attention in the US. President Joe Biden questioned, “How is it possible to have an assault rifle at home, not locked up, and your child knows where it is?” He emphasized the need for accountability for parents who allow their children access to guns.

In April, the parents of a teenager who killed four students in Michigan were sentenced to ten to fifteen years in prison, a decision that garnered national attention.

Public opinion surveys indicate a majority of Americans support stricter gun control measures, though this stance faces strong opposition from the NRA.