Bond granted for father of accused Apalachee High School shooter
Families beg judge not to grant bond for suspected school shooter's dad
Colin Gray, the father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, was granted bond during a hearing Tuesday. Chief Judge Nicholas Primm set a $500,000 bond, of which Gray would have to post $50,000 in cash.
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Bond has been granted for the father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter. The judge issued a $500,000 bond for Colin Gray during a hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecutors say Gray allowed his son, Colt Gray, access to a weapon despite knowing he posed a threat to himself and others.
What we know:
Colt Gray, 14, is accused of killing four people and injuring nine others during a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in September.
Colin Gray faces 29 charges, including second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children. The outcome of his bond hearing could determine whether he remains in custody while awaiting trial.
The families of the victims begged the Chief Judge Nicholas Primm not to grant Gray bond on Tuesday.
He will have to post at least $50,000 of the $500,000 in cash in order to get out.
What they're saying:
As Chief Judge Primm made his decision, he told the family members of the shooting victims that he had to follow the law, not emotion.
"Understand that the law does not permit me to be emotional and I'm constrained by the law," Primm said. "I'm here to seek justice. Understand that at a bond hearing is not where justice is dispensed."
He said a bond had been granted based on the following factors:
- Gray is not being considered a flight risk because he was born and raised in Georgia.
- Primm believes Gray does not pose a danger to the community.
- Primm believes the chances are Gray will not commit a felony if he's let out.
Colin Gray took the stand during the hearing and promised to abide by the terms of the bond.
What we don't know:
It's not clear what the terms of the bond are, whether Gray has the means to post bond, nor how soon he could be released.
His attorneys told FOX 5 Atlanta they were working to get the money together.
If Gray can pull together the $50,000 in cash, he said he would live with his young sister, a retired law enforcement officer in Cherokee County.
The other side:
It was an emotional day for the loved ones of beloved math teacher Cristina Irimie, Coach Richard Aspinwall, 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and 14-year-old Christian Angulo, and all the surviving victims who were hoping Gray wouldn't get the chance to be released.
RELATED: Apalachee High School shooting victims | What we know
"I feel that the sheer irresponsibility of Mr. Gray as a parent robbed my family of the chance to raise my son," said Mason Schermerhorn's mother.
"Why should your son and you have freedom when she has none of it?" said the grandfather of a surviving victim. "She cannot do what she wants to do."
Another person present in court said the judge's decision felt like ripping off a Band-Aid.
The backstory:
The mass shooting at Apalachee High School occurred Sept. 4, 2024. On that date, Colt Gray allegedly killed two teachers and two 14-year-old students and injured several others.
The students were later identified as Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn and the teachers were Cristina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39.
Investigators later found a notebook belonging to Colt Gray that contained drawings that eerily matched 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 that consisted of approximately 15 photographs and newspaper articles about past school shootings and school shooters.
READ ALL APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL STORIES
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 shooting.
Why you should care:
Since the shooting at Apalachee High School, parents and students have demanded school safety reforms. Additionally, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns has introduced a comprehensive school safety plan to the legislature, aiming to prevent tragedies like the mass shooting at Apalachee High School.