WINDER, Ga. — Opening statements began Monday in the trial of Colin Gray, the father of the teenage suspect accused in the deadly 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School, marking the start of a closely watched case with statewide and national implications.
Gray faces multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. Prosecutors allege he knowingly allowed his son access to a firearm despite repeated warning signs and concerns about the teenager’s behavior prior to the shooting.
The September 4, 2024 attack left four people dead — two students and two teachers — and several others injured, making it one of the deadliest school shootings in Georgia history.
During opening statements, prosecutors outlined their case that the trial is not about holding a parent responsible for a child’s actions, but about alleged decisions made by the defendant that enabled the violence. Defense attorneys countered that Gray could not have foreseen his son’s actions and did not know the extent of his son’s plans.
Because of intense public interest, jurors were selected from outside Barrow County. The trial is expected to last several weeks and is being closely followed as part of a broader national debate over parental responsibility and access to firearms in cases of school violence.
