Colin Gray, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) said.
Colin Gray, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) said.
There just seems to be some incongruity with the fact that he was completely legally allowed to own a gun and without any evidence of being an accomplice to the actual crime the parent is held culpable for what his son did even after cops “paid him a visit,” which means absolutely nothing… Oh, and the son is being tried as an adult. There are just several disconnects here that I’m not comfortable with.
Like, I’m curious… If he took a steak knife that was bought by his father and left in the kitchen drawer and used that on classmates, would the father still be considered an accomplice? I seriously doubt it.
I want to be pissed off, too. But I want to both have the law actually make sense and get to the root of the fucking problem, too. Maybe we should actually look at why there is rising adolescent suicidal and homicidal ideation…? Arrest the cops for consistency sake? Create the red flag law, or you know, ban the selling or ownership of the gun in the first place that is for all intents unnecessary?
This would be my understanding of the thought process. Keep in mind, I’m not saying this is morally right or wrong, nor am I saying he will end up convicted.
The standard for legal persecution by the police in response to vague threats of potential violence by a teenager is much much higher than the standard for child neglect which leads to the death of others. One had very little direct evidence that anything serious would be carried out, and the other left 4 people dead.
In the state of Georgia, at least, there is a concept that you basically don’t own your body until you are 17/18. If a parent gives you a firearm, particularly a firearm that is illegal for a minor to own in the state of Georgia, the parent can be held liable for the effects of that gift.
Your analogy of the kid finding a knife in a drawer is not 1 to 1. The closer analogy would be a father handing a kitchen knife to his son who is in the middle of yelling at his little brother saying he hates him, and then being surprised that his angry son used the damn knife.
The police can not arrest you for the potential of comitting a crime. The police can not sanction your right, the father in this case, because of an investigation on your son. However, you are absolutely responsible for the safety and well being of your son at all times, and it should have been understood by the father that illegally giving his 14 year old, troubled, previously investigated son an AR-15, might be a bad idea.
Fair points and thanks for the discussion. I had to dig through a couple articles to actually find that it seems that it was indeed illegal for his father to give him that firearm in the state of Georgia unless he adhered to certain exceptions for hunting and what not — which it doesn’t look like that was the case. That certainly changes things.