Trial Begins for Father of Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect

Colin Gray faces charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for his role in the 2024 attack that killed 4 and wounded 9 others.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of Colin Gray, whose 14-year-old son Colt Gray is accused of killing two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia in September 2024. Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, for allegedly giving his son access to the gun and ammunition used in the shooting despite warnings about his son's deteriorating mental health and obsession with school shooters.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing trend of prosecutors charging parents in connection with mass shootings committed by their children, as authorities seek to hold adults accountable for their role in enabling such tragedies. The trial will examine how much responsibility parents should bear when their children commit acts of violence, and whether charging parents can help prevent future school shootings.

The details

Investigators say Colt Gray carefully planned the September 2024 attack, writing step-by-step plans in a notebook. On the day of the shooting, he boarded the school bus with a semiautomatic rifle hidden in his book bag and opened fire in a classroom and hallways, killing two students and two teachers. Colin Gray had given his son the gun as a Christmas gift the previous year and later bought him a larger magazine at his request. Prosecutors say Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters and that his mental health had deteriorated, but failed to seek proper help.

  • Jury selection is set to begin on Monday, February 10, 2026.
  • The shooting occurred on September 4, 2024.

The players

Colin Gray

The father of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old accused shooter. Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, for allegedly giving his son access to the gun and ammunition used in the attack despite warnings about his son's deteriorating mental health and obsession with school shooters.

Colt Gray

The 14-year-old accused shooter who is alleged to have carefully planned and carried out the attack at Apalachee High School in September 2024, killing two students and two teachers.

Richard Aspinwall

One of the teachers killed in the Apalachee High School shooting.

Cristina Irimie

One of the teachers killed in the Apalachee High School shooting.

Mason Schermerhorn

One of the two 14-year-old students killed in the Apalachee High School shooting.

Christian Angulo

One of the two 14-year-old students killed in the Apalachee High School shooting.

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What they’re saying

“We have had a very difficult past couple of years and he needs help. Anger, anxiety, quick to be volatile. I don't know what to do.”

— Colin Gray

What’s next

The judge in the case has blocked off three weeks for jury selection and the trial, which is set to begin on Monday, February 10, 2026.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex and controversial issue of parental responsibility in mass shootings committed by their children. The trial will examine how much culpability parents should bear when their children commit acts of violence, and whether charging parents can help prevent future school shootings.