Father charged along with son, 14, in school shooting

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A 14-year-old boy was charged with shooting four people dead at a US high school, while his father was charged with manslaughter, authorities said Thursday, after the country’s latest outburst of gun violence.

The teen faces four felony murder counts after allegedly killing two fellow pupils, also aged 14, as well as two teachers at Apalachee High School in the southern state of Georgia on Wednesday.

Nine people — most of them children — were wounded in the attack. Authorities have said they are recovering.

The suspect’s father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, was in custody and faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, making him the latest American parent to face criminal charges after a child was involved in a mass shooting.

The charges come after Gray “knowingly” allowed his son to possess a weapon, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) director Chris Hosey told a press conference.

Citing unnamed sources, CNN reported that the gun used in the shooting — which it described as an AR 15-style assault rifle — had been purchased for the teenager by his father as a holiday gift.

The GBI had said the suspect would be charged as an adult. He was scheduled to appear in court on Friday, with more charges expected.

“The investigation into the shooting at Apalachee HS is still active and ongoing,” the agency said in a post on X.