Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 10, 2025
Muskingum University Shooter Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison
(ZANESVILLE, OHIO)
On November 10, 2025, Franklin J. Grayson, 29, of Jacksonville, Florida, appeared in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas to receive sentencing for several charges that stem from Grayson shooting an Olivet College baseball player at Muskingum University.
Grayson was sentenced for the following charges:
Count 1. Attempted Murder
Counts 2,4. Felonious Assault
Counts 3,5. Felonious Assault
Counts 6,7. Improperly Discharging a Firearm at or into a School Safety Zone
Count 8. Inducing Panic
Count 9. Carrying a Concealed Weapon
Count 11. Tampering with Evidence
The State argued for a maximum sentence. During the hearing, Assistant Prosecutor John Litle claimed that Grayson targeted a totally innocent man for nothing more than sharing his Alma Mater. Litle argued that Grayson needed to be incapacitated and kept separate from decent society. He claimed that based on Grayson’s planning and his attempts to escape responsibility this offense could occur again.
Judge Cottrill, after reading an impact statement from the victim and hearing from the defense and the State proceeded directly to sentencing, ordering that Grayson serve 25 years in prison.
Grayson also received sentencing on another case in which he received a one-year prison sentence, resulting in a total prison sentence of 26 years.
The family of Grayson’s victim attended the hearing and thanked the courts for handling the case properly.
“The victim’s family told me, ‘If it had to happen, we’re glad it happened here,’” according to APA Litle. “While we’re not happy when any crimes occur in Muskingum County, any person victimized here will be given the dignity of an active, competent prosecution, a dedicated law enforcement team, and a serious judiciary.”
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