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BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - The murder trial of Colin Gray resumes Wednesday for its eighth day, with jurors expected to watch a lengthy law enforcement interview prosecutors say could be central to their case.
Court adjourned Tuesday before investigators could play the roughly two-and-a-half-hour recorded interview conducted with Gray in the hours after the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School.
What we know:
Prosecutors contend Gray bears criminal responsibility for giving his son, Colt Gray, the semiautomatic rifle authorities say was used in the attack that killed two teachers and two students and injured nine others. Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
On Tuesday, jurors heard emotional testimony from Gray’s daughter, who said her brother’s mental health deteriorated in the months leading up to the shooting and that firearms in the home were not secured. She testified that one rifle was kept in her brother’s bedroom and that images of Nikolas Cruz were displayed on his wall for months before the attack.
She also told jurors her father instructed her to "basically try to cover for him" during a forensic interview, specifically telling her not to reveal that he knew about the Cruz images. She acknowledged she did not initially tell investigators the full truth.
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Colin Gray's daughter testifies on day 7 of murder trial
On the seventh day of the murder trial for Colin Gray, father of the accused Apalachee school shooter Colt Gray, his own daughter took the stand as a key witness.
Earlier in the day, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified that Colin Gray admitted buying the rifle as a Christmas gift in December 2023 and described months of "escalating aggression" by his son. The agent said Gray gave conflicting accounts about where the gun was stored — first saying it was secured, then later acknowledging it had been kept in his son’s bedroom.
Defense attorney Brian Hobbs has argued the shooting was intentionally hidden from Colin Gray and that criminal liability cannot be based on hindsight.
What's next:
When court resumes Wednesday morning, prosecutors are expected to play the full interview between investigators and Colin Gray, allowing jurors to hear his statements in their entirety as the state continues presenting its case.
PREVIOUS TRIAL STORIES
- Apalachee HS shooting trial: Colt Gray's sister says dad told her to lie to investigators
- Apalachee HS shooting: Colt Gray's mother describes 'aggressive and unpredictable' behavior
- Colin Gray trial: Chilling 'shrine' to Parkland shooter found in home
- Colin Gray trial: Jury sees gun used in Apalachee school shooting
- Apalachee HS shooting: Students testify on day 2 of Colin Gray trial
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