Former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik told Newsmax Saturday that today's parents, afraid to invade their children's privacy, may be putting society at greater risk and must be "held accountable."
The father of a 14-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting four people at a Georgia high school was arrested Thursday and faces charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for letting his son possess a weapon, authorities said.
It's the latest example of prosecutors holding parents responsible for their children's actions in school shootings. In April, Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. They were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their son's deteriorating mental health before he killed four students in 2021.
Many parents struggle with the boundaries of supervising their children without invading their privacy — a dilemma that Kerik believes can have dangerous consequences.
"Well, listen, unfortunately, I think parents have to be held accountable and understand that they're responsible for their kids. We live in a society today where parents sort of, you know, they don't want to oversee their kids," Kerik said on "Saturday Report."
"They don't want to know what's on their phones. They don't want to invade their privacy.
"When my son was a child, I invaded his privacy. I wanted to know who he was talking to, where he was going, and what they were doing," he said.
Kerik's comments come in the wake of a tragic incident in Georgia.
Colt Gray, who has been charged with four counts of murder, is accused of using a semiautomatic assault-style rifle to kill two fellow students and two teachers Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, outside Atlanta.
His father, Colin Gray, 54, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said at a news conference.
"His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon," Hosey said.
Prosecutor Brad Smith declined to publicly disclose details that led him to charge Colin Gray in the Apalachee shooting. But in arrest warrants, authorities said he had provided a gun to his son “with knowledge that he was threat to himself and others.”
"The father had a substantial warning from the sheriff," Kerik said. "The last thing you want to do is run out and get your kid a gun and hand it to him.
"So, you know, I think the father must be held accountable."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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