Kate Brumback

Comedians Eric André and Clayton English settled a lawsuit alleging that Clayton County officers racially profiled and coercively searched them at Atlanta’s airport. The county permanently ended the airport search program, agreed to require body cameras and constitutional-rights training for assigned officers, and authorized a $30,000 payment split between the comedians without admitting liability. Lawsuit records cited 402 jet-bridge stops, disproportionately involving Black travelers, which produced only three reported drug seizures but more than $1 million in cash and money orders; most confiscated funds were later returned after challenges.

Colin Gray was sentenced to 15 years in prison for providing his son, Colt Gray, with the rifle used in the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting, which killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine others. Prosecutors argued that Gray ignored warning signs and failed to secure firearms despite risks surrounding his son, while the defense characterized the warning signs as isolated and argued that Gray did not intend the harm. Victims' families called the tragedy preventable and urged the maximum sentence. The case follows convictions of the parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley and reflects growing efforts to hold parents criminally accountable for children's violent acts.

Colin Gray was sentenced to 15 years in prison for providing his son, Colt Gray, with the rifle used in the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting, which killed four people and wounded nine. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors argued that he ignored warning signs and failed to secure the weapon. Victims' families sought the maximum sentence, while the defense argued that Gray did not intend the harm and that his son's online activity and warning signs were concealed or intermittent. The case adds to a growing effort to hold parents criminally accountable for children’s school shootings, following the convictions of Jennifer and James Crumbley.

Court recordings and testimony indicate that Colt Gray discussed his online notoriety, fan art and a possible shrine with his mother after killing four people at Apalachee High School. Prosecutors argued that his online conversations, notebook and post-shooting conduct contradicted claims that the attack was spontaneous and showed that he had planned it and intended to survive. Defense testimony described years of abuse and neglect and said Gray appeared to improve after treatment and medication in detention. Gray pleaded guilty to 55 counts, while his father, Colin Gray, was separately convicted over his role in providing the rifle.

Forensic psychologist Kevin Richards testified that Colt Gray had a chaotic, financially unstable and neglected childhood, experienced paranoia and anxiety, and spent much of his social life online. Richards said Gray became deeply involved in a Discord community fascinated by mass shootings and studied attackers including Adam Lanza, James Holmes and Nikolas Cruz. He testified that Gray’s attack on Apalachee High School was planned rather than driven by hallucinations or delusions, and prosecutors argued that Gray planted references to previous shooters to gain status. Gray pleaded guilty to 55 charges related to the deaths of four people and the wounding of several others, leaving Judge Nicholas Primm to decide whether he can receive parole. His father, Colin Gray, was separately convicted over providing the rifle used in the attack.