When a school shooting happens, the focus is usually on the gunman.

But what happens when the parents are held responsible too?

In this episode of Stop the Killing, former FBI executive Katherine Schweit examines the landmark conviction of a father following the Apalachee High School shooting in Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed in September 2024.

The case raises a question that is reshaping the legal landscape in the United States:

Can parents be criminally liable for the actions of their children?

Following a two-week trial and just two hours of jury deliberation, the father of the alleged teenage shooter was convicted on multiple charges including involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder.

In this episode, we unpack:

Why prosecutors argued the father was criminally negligent

How this case compares to the Oxford High School shooting parents’ convictions

The warning signs that appeared before the tragedy

The legal concept of parental liability in school shootings

What threat assessment teams can do to prevent violence

Why prosecutors may increasingly charge parents in future cases

This episode explores the difficult but urgent question:

Where does responsibility begin — and where does it end — when a child commits an act of mass violence?

Because the legal system may be entering a new era where parental decisions can carry criminal consequences.

Apalachee High School shooting

Parents charged in school shootings

Criminal negligence and gun ownership

Oxford High School shooting parents case

Warning signs before mass violence

Threat assessment teams in schools

Gun access and youth violence prevention

Legal accountability in school shootings

Relevant Resources and Links:

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More insights from Katherine Schweit: Katherine Schweit.

Website: Sarah Ferris Media

Email: [email protected]

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RESOURCES

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This is a Sarah Ferris Media production on the Killer Podcasts Network.Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions:

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