Colt Gray seeks venue change for Apalachee High School shooting trial
Colt Gray
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Accused Apalachee High School shooter, Colt Gray, is asking a judge for a change in trial venue.
Gray's attorneys filed a motion this week in Barrow County Superior court.
Apalachee High School mass shooting
The backstory:
Colt Gray is accused of opening fire using a "black semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle" inside the high school’s J hall during the second period of class on Sept. 4. Two teachers, 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and 53-year-old Cristina Irimie, and two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, were killed. Nine others were injured.
Investigators later found a notebook belonging to Colt Gray that contained drawings eerily matching the events of the school shooting, as well as a checklist outlining steps Colt planned to take. They also found a "shrine of sorts" behind Colt's computer desk in his home, consisting of approximately 15 photographs and newspaper articles about past school shootings and school shooters.
Colt Gray in court
The GBI also learned from Colt's father, Colin Gray, that he had received unsettling text messages from both his daughter and ex-wife on the day of the shooting. After reading the texts, Colin said he went home and turned on the news, where he saw reports of the shooting at Colt’s school. He told investigators that he then went to Colt’s room to look for the AR-15-style rifle he had given him, only to find it missing. Investigators testified that Colin Gray did not seem surprised when he was informed of the shooting and did not immediately express remorse after learning about the incident.
Gray faces 55 charges, including four counts of murder, four counts of felony murder, four counts of aggravated battery, 25 counts of aggravated assault, and 18 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree.
Colt Gray files for change of venue
What we know:
In a filing, Gray’s attorneys argue that the widespread publicity of the case, and the passionate response it invokes, should be the reason for the trial being moved. "The extensive publicity has biased the Barrow County jury pool against Gray. Removal of the case to another county would save Barrow County the money and time it would have spent trying to impanel an impartial jury from a biased jury pool," the motion read in part. "Removal of the case to another county would enhance Gray’s chance at securing a fair trial."
What we don't know:
Prosecutors have yet to respond to the motion.
Dig deeper:
Last month, his father, Colin Gray, filed a similar motion. The elder Gray faces 29 charges, including second-degree murder, for allegedly allowing his son access to the weapon used in the Apalachee High School shooting.
Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, appears in a Barrow County courtroom for an arraignment hearing on Oct. 16, 2024. (FOX 5)
SEE ALSO:
- Father of accused Apalachee High shooter seeks venue change amidst publicity concerns
- Apalachee High School head football coach stepping down after mass shooting
- Barrow County Schools announce additional new security feature
- Bond granted for father of accused Apalachee High School shooter
- Apalachee HS shooting victim's brother demands better security in Barrow County schools
The Source: The new details in this article come from Barrow County Superior Court records. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used with the links above.