Closing arguments set for Monday as Colin Gray trial nears verdict in Apalachee High shooting case
Trial enters final stage with jurors weighing parental responsibility allegations
Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday afternoon in the trial of Colin Gray, who faces felony charges tied to the September 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. Prosecutors allege Gray’s actions and omissions enabled his son, Colt Gray, then 14, to carry out a deadly attack that killed four people and injured others.
The case has drawn national attention because it centers on whether a parent can be held criminally responsible when a minor uses a firearm the parent provided or failed to secure. Gray has pleaded not guilty to 29 charges that include second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children counts.
What jurors have heard about the shooting and the firearm
Evidence presented at trial has focused on how the rifle was obtained and accessed, and on what Gray knew about his son’s condition and behavior before the attack. Testimony has addressed a rifle that investigators say Gray gave as a Christmas gift, along with related ammunition and accessories.
Jurors have also heard detailed accounts of the school attack and the aftermath. Colt Gray is charged separately with 55 counts, including murder and aggravated assault. His case is pending.
Warnings, access and supervision at the center of the dispute
A central dispute for jurors is whether Gray ignored warning signs and failed to restrict access to firearms at home. Trial testimony has addressed prior law-enforcement contact involving reported online threats in 2023, and statements about whether Colt Gray had unsupervised access to guns.
Witness testimony has included accounts of concerns raised within the family about securing firearms. Jurors have also heard evidence intended to show the teenager’s interest in prior mass shootings and other troubling behavior, which prosecutors argue should have prompted stronger intervention.
Procedural steps and what happens next
The trial is being conducted in Barrow County, while the jury pool was drawn from Hall County after the court determined local jurors were too likely to be affected by the community impact of the shooting. The presiding judge is Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm.
Following Monday’s closing arguments, jurors are expected to receive legal instructions and begin deliberations. The verdict will determine whether prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Gray’s conduct meets the elements of the charged crimes.
The trial’s final phase will ask jurors to apply Georgia law to evidence about firearm access, supervision, and foreseeability.
Defendant: Colin Gray, charged with 29 counts including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter
Related case: Colt Gray, charged separately with 55 counts in connection with the school shooting
Next courtroom step: Closing arguments Monday afternoon, followed by jury deliberations