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Colin Gray trial: Verdict watch begins in Apalachee High case

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Published  March 3, 2026 6:35am EST
Apalachee High School shooting
FOX 5 Atlanta
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Colin Gray in court. FOX 5 Atlanta image

The Brief

    • Jurors begin deliberations at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the trial of Colin Gray, who faces 29 felony charges tied to the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting.
    • Prosecutors argue Gray bears responsibility for giving his teenage son access to the rifle used in the attack that killed four people and injured nine others.
    • The defense contends only the gunman is to blame, as the closely watched case now heads toward a verdict.

ATLANTA - Jurors are set to begin deliberations Tuesday morning in the trial of Colin Gray, the Barrow County father charged in connection with the deadly 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School.

What we know:

Deliberations are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. after nearly two weeks of testimony and about 90 minutes of closing arguments from each side Monday. The case is now fully in the hands of the jury, and court officials will be on verdict watch as jurors work toward a unanimous decision.

Gray, 55, faces 29 felony charges, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. Prosecutors allege he enabled access to the AR-15-style rifle authorities say his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, used in the Sept. 4, 2024 attack.

Investigators say the teen opened fire inside the school near Winder, killing four people — teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo — and injuring nine others before he was taken into custody.

What they're saying:

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors the shooting lasted 41 seconds but caused irreversible harm.

"For 41 seconds. Those 41 seconds forever altered the lives of the students of Apalachee High School, their parents, and everyone in this community," prosecutors said. "But his father, Colin, the man he lived with, bears responsibility, too, for the murder of Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Cristina Irimie, and Richard Aspinwall at Apalachee High School."

Prosecutors replayed body camera video and referenced text messages they say show Gray knew his son was struggling and should not have purchased the rifle months earlier as a Christmas gift. They also pointed to school discipline records, prior threats reported to law enforcement and online searches seeking help for a "troubled teen."

Defense attorneys argued the state is unfairly extending criminal liability to a parent for the actions of his child. They described Gray as a single father doing his best to raise three children while dealing with family turmoil and his son’s behavioral challenges.

"This young man right here. This is the person who went into the high school and shot and killed four people he didn't even know," the defense said, referring to Colt Gray.

Gray testified in his own defense, telling jurors he bonded with his son through hunting and target practice and maintained rules requiring firearms to remain unloaded.

"He had a healthy respect for weapons," Gray testified.

The trial is being closely watched nationwide because it seeks to hold a parent criminally responsible in connection with a school shooting carried out by a child. If convicted on all counts, Gray could face decades in prison.

PREVIOUS TRIAL STORIES

The Source

  • Information for the above comes from FOX 5 Atlanta original reporting. 

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