MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 3, 2026--
By Light Professional IT Services LLC (By Light) today announced the appointment of Jeffrey R. Jones as Executive Vice President, Cyber, advancing By Light's mission to deliver an integrated cyber readiness platform across the Department of Defense, federal agencies, and allied partners.
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In his new role, Jeff will oversee and synchronize By Light’s cyber initiatives, driving strategy and execution to strengthen mission-critical operations. With decades of experience in the DoD, in uniform and as a civilian leader, Jones brings unparalleled expertise in cyberspace operations, network defense, intelligence, and secure communications.
Jeff is a retired Senior Executive from the DoD with nearly 30 years of leadership in cybersecurity, data, and digital transformation. He served as Deputy to the Commanding General of U.S. Army Cyber Command, Vice Director of the Joint Staff J6, and Executive Director of JFHQ–DODIN, leading global cyber defense and modernization efforts. He holds master’s degrees from the U.S. Army War College and James Madison University and is also a retired Army Reserve Military Intelligence Officer.
"I've spent my career operating at the intersection of cyber, intelligence, and national security, and By Light is where those capabilities come together at real scale,” said Jeff. “The opportunity here is to unify cyber training, operations, and infrastructure into an integrated platform that accelerates readiness and protects mission execution. That's a unique position in this market, and I'm excited to build it with this team."
"Jeff’s deep operational experience and strategic vision will be pivotal as we expand and elevate our cybersecurity and training capabilities to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving threat environment," said Bob Donahue, CEO of By Light. "Under his leadership, we will scale advanced capabilities, drive transformative innovation, and cement By Light's position as the defense industry's most complete cyber partner.”
About By Light
By Light, headquartered in Mclean, VA is a leading supplier of products and services to Defense, National Security and Global Markets in the areas of Modeling & Simulation and Cyber. The Company delivers the Army’s Synthetic Training Environment (STE), Reconfigurable Virtual Collective Trainer (RVCT) along with High Fidelity Flight Trainers for the UH-60, CH47, CH-53, CV-22 and many others. For the latest on By Light’s portfolio of Products and Solutions, visit www.bylight.com.
By Light welcomes Jeffrey R. Jones as its new EVP, Cyber.
WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man who gave his teenage son the gun he's accused of using to kill two students and two teachers at a high school was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter Tuesday.
Jurors took less than two hours to find Colin Gray guilty of all charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray is one of a number of parents prosecuted after their children were accused in fatal shootings across the country.
Colin Gray was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.
Another teacher and eight other students were wounded. Gray was also convicted of multiple counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to children.
He showed little emotion as the verdict was read and then as he watched each juror being polled by the judge. Deputies then handcuffed him behind his back as he stood at the defense table, consulting with his lawyer. He will be sentenced at a later date. Second-degree murder is punishable by at least 10 but no more than 30 years in prison, while involuntary manslaughter carries a penalty of one to 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Gray gave his son, Colt, access to a gun and ammunition “after receiving sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger the bodily safety of another.”
The teen's mother, Marcee Gray — who testified that she had urged Colin Gray to take any guns and lock them inside his truck so they were not accessible to their son — declined to comment when reached by phone after the verdict. She and Colin Gray were separated in the months leading up to the shooting, and Colt lived mostly with his father during that time. She wasn't charged in connection to the shooting.
Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, was indicted on a total of 55 counts, including murder. He has pleaded not guilty and the judge in his case has set a status hearing for mid-March.
Investigators said Colt Gray carefully planned the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school attended by 1,900 students.
He boarded the school bus with a semiautomatic, assault-style rifle in his book bag, the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board, investigators said. He left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the gun and then shot people in a classroom and hallways, investigators said.
Colin Gray had given his son the gun as a gift the Christmas before the shooting and allowed him to have access to the gun and ammunition, despite his awareness that his son’s mental health had deteriorated, a prosecutor said.
Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, prosecutors said.
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, listens during closing arguments in his trial at Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga., on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Abbey Cutrer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Colin Gray listens to his attorney during closing arguments in his trial at Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga., on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Abbey Cutrer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, takes the stand during his trial on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Pool)
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, listens during his trial, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, at the Barrow County Courthouse in Winder, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
