"The father of Colt Gray, the main suspect involved in a
school shooting in Georgia, has been charged. This raises new questions in the
U.S. legal system regarding parental responsibility, as reported by the BBC."
Last Christmas, Colin Gray gave his son an assault rifle as
a gift. Investigators suspect that on Wednesday, September 4, 14-year-old Colt
used this weapon in a school shooting. Four people were killed, including two
students and two teachers, and nine others were injured.
Both father and son have been charged with murder. Colin,
54, faces two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary
manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children. If all charges are
proven, Colin could face up to 180 years in prison.
Chris Jose, the director of the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation, stated, "Colin is being held accountable because he
knowingly allowed his son to possess a weapon."
The charges were filed within 24 hours of the shooting,
though experts have warned that not all facts have come to light. It’s also
unclear what specific legal arguments will be raised against Colin.
Evan Bernick, a professor of law at Northern Illinois
University, said, "There is an element of cruelty toward children in this
killing. But where exactly does this cruelty lie? In the shooting itself? Or in
the behavior that led the child to commit such an act? We have no clear
answers."
Colt will be tried as an adult, meaning he is fully
accountable for his actions under the law. However, his father will not escape
punishment either.
Colin will not be charged with direct involvement in the
shooting. Rather, he is being held responsible for failing to intervene in his
son’s actions.
In 2018, the parents of Ethan, a 14-year-old involved in
another school shooting, were charged with neglect. However, this case
surpasses that one because parental negligence is being treated as equivalent
to murder.
Eve Brank, a psychology professor at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, remarked, "Children are not always influenced solely by
their families. It’s difficult to predict how external events will shape their
minds. Yet the legal system is interfering with family decisions. What we really
needed was stricter firearm control."
Tim Carey, a specialist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun
Violence Solutions, noted, "The effort to blame parents reflects the
failure to control firearms."
Many legal experts warn that unless the root cause of the
problem is addressed, future situations could become even more complex.
Ekow Yankah, a professor of law and philosophy at the
University of Michigan, commented, "The problem of gun violence in our
society is severe. Instead of addressing it through proper legal channels, we
are getting caught up in unusual cases."
Yankah added that the legal system’s new "hammer"
could disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable in society.
While the risk of holding parents accountable for their
children’s crimes has increased, the focus is not on the core issues, such as
the accessibility of firearms and the lack of mental health support for
children.
Criticizing the approach, Professor Bernick said, "We
are tackling deep-rooted societal problems with criminal law rather than
addressing the real issue at hand."
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