Father Goes On Trial Over Son's 2024 School Shooting
Colin Gray faces 29 counts after prosecutors say he gave his son a rifle used to kill four at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4, 2024.
Overview
Opening statements in Colin Gray's trial are expected on Feb. 16.
Prosecutors say Gray faces 29 charges after allegedly giving his son a rifle as a Christmas 2023 gift that was later used in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School.
Investigators say a sheriff's deputy warned Gray to lock up weapons after questioning his son about online threats, and GBI Director Chris Hosey said the charges relate to allowing his son to possess a weapon.
On Sept. 4, 2024, authorities say Colt Gray, then 14, used an AR-style rifle to kill four people and injure nine others at Apalachee High School, which serves about 1,900 students, investigators said.
Jurors were selected from nearby Hall County after a venue request, and prosecutors plan witness testimony from family members, survivors and behavioral health experts during a trial expected to last about three weeks.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around parental negligence and legal accountability by foregrounding prosecutors' claims (e.g., gifted the rifle; a deputy warned to lock up weapons) and highlighting symbolic details (a Cruz shrine). Defense views appear but are compressed—mention of a possible plea and family saying the shrine was joking.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Colin Gray faces 29 charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of second-degree cruelty to children.
Colt Gray, aged 14, hid a semiautomatic AR-style rifle in his book bag with the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board, boarded a school bus, left his second-period class, emerged from a bathroom, and began shooting in classrooms and hallways on September 4, 2024.
A sheriff's deputy warned Colin Gray to lock up weapons after questioning Colt about online threats, and investigators noted Gray was aware of his son's obsession with school shooters, including a shrine to Nikolas Cruz, and his deteriorating mental health.
Opening statements in Colin Gray's trial began on Monday, February 16, 2026, in Barrow County, with jurors selected from neighboring Hall County; the trial is expected to last about three weeks.
History
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