Explained: The legal issues at the center of the Georgia school shooting case

The 14-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed four people at a Georgia high school and his father will stay in custody after back-to-back court hearings Friday morning where their lawyers declined to seek bail.
Colt Gray, 14, and his father Colin Gray, 54, in the Barrow County courthouse on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, during their first appearances for the Wednesday shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, Pool)

Updated at 3:51 p.m.

The case against the Georgia school shooting suspect and his father could set legal precedent in the state for holding parents responsible in school shooting cases.

According to Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith, this marks the first time in the state’s history that the parent of a suspect has been charged in connection with a school shooting.