BARROW COUNTY, GA — The second-degree murder conviction of Colin Gray, who prosecutors say gave his teenage son access to a gun allegedly used in the Apalachee High School shooting, could set a precedent and put parents on notice.

Former DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James says the case applies Georgia law in a way that has not traditionally been used.

“I think the strong point that the prosecution has here is, yeah we use the statute in the way that’s it’s not customarily used, and perhaps we stretched it really really far, but anybody engaging in this conduct knowing the things that he knew, and allowing his son to have access to a weapon would know they were violating the law,” James said.

James says the case represents a major shift in public policy that could expand the doctrine of parental responsibility.

“This is such a novel movement by the prosecutor, it is inviting a challenge,” James said.

He says the case raises questions about how much knowledge a parent must have to be held responsible for a child’s actions.

“Is it an inkling, is it perhaps ‘I’m concerned about some things,’ or do you have to be sure, or is it somewhere in the middle?” James said.

Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith says he hopes the verdict sends a message.

“Our rights were given to us by our four fathers, but God gave us a duty to protect our children and I hope that we remember that,” Smith said.

Smith disagrees with the defense argument that the case creates a “slippery slope.”

“It wasn’t like one parent may have missed one warning, this was multiple warnings over a lengthy period of time, and like we said he just had to do one thing to take that rifle away and this would have been prevented,” Smith said.

Gray’s sentencing date has not yet been set. Smith says he plans to speak with the victims’ families before deciding on a sentencing recommendation.

WSB Radio’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story.