The father of the suspect in Wednesday's Georgia school shooting says he bought the gun as a gift for his son. Colin Gray was arrested and hit with multiple charges, including second-degree murder and manslaughter, after his 14-year-old son shot and killed four people and injured nine others at Apalachee High School. Gray told investigators he bought the AR-15 style rifle as a holiday present for his son in December 2023, the same year the boy was investigated for making school shooting threats online.
Meantime, Rhode Island Senior Senator Jack Reed is speaking out on the latest gun violence. He says Congress needs to take aim at commonsense legislation rather than volumes of rhetoric.
“Once again, we are left heartbroken by a tragic, senseless and horrific mass shooting that took the lives of innocent students and teachers. Supporting the community doesn’t mean just sending thoughts and prayers - it means taking concrete action to put a stop to the epidemic of gun violence in this country. It means commonsense action to prevent teenagers and others from getting their hands on weapons of war that are designed to inflict mass-harm.
“Technology exists that can secure firearms effectively and prevent unsupervised kids from getting their hands on guns. The law should hold people accountable if they fail to take proper precautions.
“I will continue to speak out against gun violence and call for meaningful action to prevent it.
“Congress can and should come together to pass commonsense gun violence prevention measures like reinstating the assault weapons ban, improving background checks, banning high-capacity magazines, ending the liability shield for gun makers, and requiring safe storage of firearms.
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