Apalachee HS shooting: Deputy describes interaction with Colin Gray

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Day four in the trail of Colin Gray, the father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, showed the first encounter between Colin and law enforcement after the deadly shooting in 2024 that claimed the lives of four people. 

The primary evidence shown today was two body cam videos. 

"He was hoping to God that his son hadn't done anything," according to former Barrow County Deputy Anthony Townsend when recalling a conversation with Colin Gray immediately following the mass shooting at Apalachee High School. 

Townsend had been dispatched to secure the Gray home after the mass shooting. Townsend recalled the conversation that took place between him and Colin for the jurors, which revealed Colin knew there had been a lockdown at the school. 

When deputies asked why Colin would say something like that about his son Colt, Colin replied, ""Kids, we're trying to get them into counseling. They just didn't fit in last year at high school, so we're letting them do online school. And we're drawing them back in to just getting them to going to school this year. And it's going okay," body cam footage shown in court revealed. 

Prosecutors allege Colin bought the rifle used in the shooting as a 2023 Christmas despite Colt's long history of trouble in school and concerning online searches. 

Testimony revealed that Colt had searched for things like "How to kill your dad?" and drawn swastikas and Nazi symbols on a school calculator. 

Body cam footage also showed an interaction with Colin months before the deadly school shooting. Investigators had received an FBI tip that Colt threatened to shoot up a school. 

Colt denied making the threat when confronted by officers, the footage showed. In the video, Colin did say that the alleged threat was serious and pressed his son to be honest with law enforcement. 

Testimony is expected to resume at 9 a.m. on Friday. 

Day 3 Recap

Testimony resumed for a fourth day in the trial of Colin Gray, the father of the accused Colt Gray shooter, as prosecutors continued building their case that he ignored warning signs and enabled his son’s access to the rifle used in the deadly attack at Apalachee High School.

Gray faces nearly 30 charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, in connection with the September 2024 shooting that killed four people and injured nine others. Prosecutors have argued that he purchased the rifle as a Christmas gift for his son despite concerns about the teen’s mental health.

Deputy Anthony Townsend, who was with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office at the time and now works for the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, testified that he was directed to respond to multiple locations after reports of an active shooter at Apalachee High School.

He told the court he was initially instructed to help secure a school building before being redirected by a supervisor to a third location, which turned out to be a personal residence in Barrow County. Townsend said he entered the address into his GPS and responded as directed.

Townsend testified he was instructed to "secure that location," but said he did not know why he was being sent there at the time.

When asked what he knew about the situation at the school, Townsend said he had only been made aware there had been an active shooter and that multiple people were injured. He testified he did not know how many victims there were, whether there were additional threats, or whether a suspect had been detained.

Townsend also testified that Gray indicated he knew something had occurred because of a text from his daughter and said he hoped his son had nothing to do with it. A few minutes later, he said he knew his son had something to do with the incident at the school and revealed he had attempted to obtain counseling for his son. 

Additionally, a representative of the Barrow County School revealed details about Colt Gray's school enrollment history, which included multiple schools and many unexplained absences. The jury also heard from a school counselor about her interactions with Colt Gray and from an employee of the Ben Hill County Department of Family and Childrens' Services. 

The court also heard from the principal of Jefferson Middle School in Jackson County, who talked Colt Gray's destructive behavior while enrolled at the middle school. 

Prosecutors continue working to establish what they describe as Colin Gray’s alleged negligence, arguing he ignored warning signs from his son and enabled access to the rifle used in the shooting at Apalachee High School that left four people – two teachers and two students – dead. 

What jurors heard on Day 3

What they're saying:

On Wednesday, the court heard from a school administrator, who detailed a frantic attempt to locate the shooter roughly 90 minutes before the first shots were fired. A teacher had alerted the administrator after becoming "very nervous and obviously distressed" by the student’s behavior and his heavy backpack.

However, a series of clerical hurdles delayed the intervention. Because the only photo in the school system was an "outdated fourth-grade photo," they mistakenly pulled a different student with a nearly identical name for questioning. By the time the error was realized, the suspect had already left his classroom.

Jurors then heard additional testimony from investigators who detailed how the weapon was obtained and stored, and what steps — if any — were taken to restrict the teen’s access to it.

The state also walked investigators and jurors through how it was processed after deputies took the suspect into custody. Crime scene technicians testified it took several days to fully process the school and collect evidence.

The courtroom remained quiet as jurors viewed additional photographs from inside the school, including images from the smoke-filled hallway where deputies testified they encountered the suspect.

A responding deputy also described hearing what sounded like a "muffled snare drum" before realizing it was gunfire. He told jurors, "There was a brief moment where we didn’t hear gunfire. So we’re trying to orient and see which direction to go, because you have two options."

After turning a corner, he said deputies encountered "A lot of smoke and dust in the hallway," adding that "the dust and everything shook down. Making it very hard to see." He testified that the suspect "was compliant" when taken into custody.

It was also revealed that the shooter fired 36 shots during the attack. 

A medical examiner previously testified that the four victims — Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie — suffered catastrophic injuries.

"In all of these cases, the injuries that were sustained, even if they were sustained in front of a hospital, I don’t believe they would have survived," Dr. Mattox told the court.

The prosecution’s theory

What they're saying:

Prosecutors contend Gray is criminally responsible for the shooting because he allegedly knew of warning signs and still allowed access to the firearm. They argue he failed to intervene despite red flags about his son’s behavior and potential for violence.

The other side:

Defense attorneys have maintained that Gray did not foresee the attack and have suggested that responsibility lies solely with the shooter.

What's next:

Testimony is expected to continue Thursday morning, with more witnesses anticipated as the state works to establish what Gray knew and when he knew it.

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