WATCH | Apalachee High School shooting: Colin Gray historic trial begins

Name: Colin Gray trial scheduled to start Monday
Uploaded: 2026-02-16T08:59:35-05:00
Description: Father of accused Apalachee High School shooter, Colin Gray, is scheduled to be back in court Monday for his trial. Prosecutors say he gave Colt Gray a gun for Christmas despite knowing he was a threat.

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - WARNING: The above trial may contain graphic and disturbing material. FOX 5 Atlanta will not be showing certain exhibits or video, but viewers can still expect to hear disturbing statements and testimony.

10:30 A.M. | Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith started his opening statement by saying, "This is not a case about holding parents accountable for what their children do. That’s not what this case is about. This case is about this defendant and his actions – his actions in allowing a child that he has custody over access to a firearm and ammunition after being warned that that child was going to harm others."

Smith went on to walk the jury through what led up to the mass shooting at Apalachee High School and what happened the day of the shooting. He also detailed the family's history and why he believes that Colin Gray is criminally responsible for his son, Colt Gray, taking a gun to his school and shooting other students and teachers.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS DESCRIBED DURING OPENING STATEMENTS

May 2023
Law enforcement officers question then-14-year-old Colt Gray and his father about anonymous online tips describing threats of a potential school shooting. The posts reportedly included photos of guns. Colt Gray denies making the threats. Authorities say they did not have probable cause to arrest him but alerted local schools to monitor the situation. During the interview, Colin Gray tells officers there are guns in the home and that his son has access to them.

December 2023
Colin Gray purchases an AR15-style rifle and gives it to his son as a Christmas gift, according to law enforcement sources. Prosecutors later allege this is the same firearm used in the school shooting.

Morning of Sept. 4, 2024
Colt Gray leaves his algebra class around 9:45 a.m. at Apalachee High School in Winder. Authorities say the rifle was hidden in his backpack. Gunshots are soon heard in a nearby classroom.

Around 10:20 a.m.
The first report of an active shooter is received. Students describe hearing gunfire and screams in the hallways.

Shortly after
A school resource officer confronts Colt Gray. Authorities say he immediately surrenders and is taken into custody. According to investigators, he later admits to the shooting.

Aftermath
Two teachers — Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie — and two students — Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo — are killed. Nine others are injured.

Sept. 5, 2024
Colin Gray is arrested a day after the shooting. Prosecutors later charge him with nearly 30 counts, alleging he allowed his son access to a firearm and ammunition despite prior warnings about potential violence.

ORIGINAL STORY

Opening statements are scheduled for Monday as the trial begins for Colin Gray, the father of the teenager charged in the Sept. 4, 2024, mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County.

Colin Gray trial scheduled to start Monday

Father of accused Apalachee High School shooter, Colin Gray, is scheduled to be back in court Monday for his trial. Prosecutors say he gave Colt Gray a gun for Christmas despite knowing he was a threat.

What we know:

Prosecutors say Colt Gray carried out the attack that killed two teachers — Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie — and two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and left nine others wounded. Colt Gray’s case does not yet have a trial date, and his attorneys have said a mental evaluation was still pending as the defense continues reviewing evidence.

Colin Gray was arrested after his son and is charged with 29 felony counts. The charges include two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, multiple counts of second-degree cruelty to children and reckless conduct. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 180 years in prison. Both father and son have pleaded not guilty.

The case is the nation’s second criminal prosecution of a parent tied to an alleged school shooter. In Michigan, Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the Oxford High School shooting case and were sentenced in April 2024 to 10 to 15 years in prison.

What they're saying:

Prosecutors contend Colin Gray bought the AR-style rifle used in the shooting and gave it to his son as a Christmas gift in December 2023, despite what they argue were warning signs. Authorities have said the FBI alerted police in May 2023 to online threats about a school shooting that were reportedly connected to Colt Gray. Investigators later contacted Colin Gray, who told officers there were firearms in the home that his son could access and that he was trying to teach him about gun safety, according to authorities.

Jury selection was held in Hall County, about 27 miles from Barrow County, and the trial will proceed in Barrow County using Hall County jurors. Fifteen jurors were seated — 12 regular jurors and three alternates — including a panel described as eight men and seven women. Chief Judge Nicholas Primm of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, who is presiding, has said he expects the trial to run about three weeks.

In pretrial hearings, Primm also set limits on what can be recorded as evidence is shown in court. Prosecutors sought restrictions on recording autopsy photos, crime scene images showing victims’ bodies and the faces of juvenile witnesses, with the judge citing concerns about additional trauma for families and minors. The court is also expected to review school surveillance video privately before deciding whether media may record it.

After selecting the panel, jurors were told they will not be sequestered and were instructed to avoid news coverage and social media about the case. Primm urged them to keep their service private and focus only on the evidence presented in court.

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