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Colin Gary in court
The father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter appeared in a Barrow County courtroom Thursday morning as a judge reviewed key legal issues ahead of his upcoming trial. Colin Gray walked into court just after 9 a.m. wearing a Barrow County jail jumpsuit and sat beside his attorney as the judge addressed final motions in the case. Tyler Fingert reporting.
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - The father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter appeared in a Barrow County courtroom Thursday morning as a judge reviewed key legal issues ahead of his upcoming trial.
What we know:
Colin Gray walked into court just after 9 a.m. wearing a Barrow County jail jumpsuit and sat beside his attorney as Judge Nicholas Primm addressed final motions in the case. Gray’s trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 9, with a jury selected from Hall County rather than Barrow County in an effort to ensure a fair proceeding.
Prosecutors accuse Gray of criminal negligence, alleging he allowed his son, Colt Gray, access to a firearm despite what they describe as prior warnings. Colt Gray is charged with killing four people and wounding others in the Apalachee High School shooting. Colin Gray faces 29 charges, including second-degree murder and cruelty to children.
Thursday’s hearing focused on whether two interviews with Colin Gray can be used at trial. One was conducted by Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Kelsey Ward, who was at the hearing, on the day of the shooting, while the other involved the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office more than a year earlier following an FBI tip about a potential school shooting threat.
Ward testified that Gray agreed to the interviews and voluntarily shared information, including text messages and emails related to his son and attempts to obtain counseling.
Defense attorneys argued the interviews were not truly voluntary and questioned whether Gray knowingly consented. The judge did not issue a ruling Thursday, instead giving both sides time to file additional legal briefs. A decision on the admissibility of the interviews is expected in the coming weeks.
Separate from his father’s case, Colt Gray faces more than 50 charges but does not yet have a trial date. He is currently awaiting the outcome of a mental health evaluation.
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