Accused Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray walks into a Barrow County courtroom for a brief status hearing, where attorneys updated the judge on his pending psychological evaluation, on December 9, 2025. (FOX 5)
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - The trial of Colt Gray, the teen accused of killing four people during a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in 2024, will start in mid-October.
Judge Nicholas Primm also granted the defense motion to move the proceedings to a new venue.
Colt Gray trial schedule
What we know:
Gray’s trial will start on Oct. 12, according to court records filed last week. The Barrow County Superior Court judge signed the scheduling order on June 5, setting key deadlines for both the defense and the state. According to the court document, the state has already served its current discovery evidence to the defense, and ongoing discovery like telephone calls from the youth detention center will continue to be provided.
The state must serve its witness list by Aug. 31, and all pretrial motions must be filed by Aug. 28. Gray has until July 15 to notify the court if he elects to enter a guilty plea. If a non-negotiated plea is entered, a plea hearing will commence on Friday, July 24, and continue into the following week. Both the defense witness list and defense discovery must be served on the state on or before Sept. 11.
Trial moved from Barrow County
Dig deeper:
Defense attorney Charlton Allen adopted a previously filed motion for a change of venue originally submitted on April 2, 2025, by former counsel Alfonso D. Kraft Jr. The state did not object to the request. Judge Primm agreed that moving the trial is necessary to provide Gray with a fair and impartial jury trial.
The court noted that the multi-week trial of the defendant's father, Colin Gray, concluded two months ago and received extensive local, statewide, and national media coverage that was live-streamed daily. Judge Primm ruled that this nonstop pretrial publicity makes it clear that a trial with Barrow County jurors would be inherently prejudicial.
New trial venue selection
What we don't know:
The exact location where the trial will take place has not yet been determined because neither the state nor the defense recommended a specific venue. The court will consider available options, including Columbia County, before determining an appropriate venue for Gray's trial. Judge Primm will confer with the chief superior court judges of various circuits where potential transfer counties lie to make the final decision.
Apalachee High School shooting
The backstory:
Authorities said Gray walked into Apalachee High School on Sept. 4, 2024, carrying an AR-15-style rifle and opened fire.
The mass shooting killed 14-year-old student Christian Angulo, 14-year-old student Mason Schermerhorn, 53-year-old teacher Cristina Irimie and 39-year-old teacher Richard Aspinwall.
Seven additional people suffered injuries during the campus attack, and Gray was subsequently charged with four counts of felony murder.
The teen's father, Colin Gray, was found guilty in March on 27 felony counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children.
Prosecutors successfully argued that the father enabled his teenage son by providing access to the weapon used in the school assault.
Jurors listened to details regarding the younger Gray's severe mental health struggles and viewed video footage of the high school attack during the father's trial.
July sentencing hearing
What's next:
Following his conviction in March, the older Gray is scheduled to return to court for a consecutive two-day sentencing hearing in late July.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official Barrow County Superior Court legal documents on June 5, which detailed scheduling orders and venue change rulings signed by Judge Nicholas Primm.