Father of Apalachee High School Shooter Wants Change of Venue

Well, here we are again. Another court filing, another delay tactic, another accused parent of a school shooter trying to duck accountability.

Let’s recap the nightmare first.

On September 4, 2024, Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia became the latest entry in the never-ending list of American schools turned war zones. Four people were murdered in 52 seconds. Yes, you read that right, less than a minute. Those murdered were 53-year-old teacher Cristina Irimie, 39-year-old Coach Richard Aspinwall, and 14-year-old students: Mason Schermerhorn, and Christian Angulo.

The shooter was fourteen-year-old Colt Gray. He was armed with what authorities called an “AR-platform-style weapon,” because we apparently have to sugarcoat weapons of war in this country. Gray walked into school carrying the rifle in a backpack, with the barrel poking out and disguised to look like part of a school project. Once inside, he asked to leave class, hid in the bathroom, retrieved the gun, and opened fire. He also had a knife on him, just in case the rifle wasn’t enough.

Gray surrendered without incident when confronted by school resource officers. Again, it probably didn’t hurt that he was white.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation later found a notebook in Gray’s room with drawings that matched the events of the shooting and a checklist outlining each step of his plan. Oh, and let’s not forget the ‘shrine’ in his bedroom, complete with 15 photos and newspaper clippings of past school shooters, lovingly displayed like some kids might frame pictures of their crush.

Colt Gray was already on law enforcement’s radar. In 2023, he was interviewed by police and the FBI over a school shooting threat made through a Discord account named “Lanza,” a nod to the Sandy Hook shooter, spelled with Cyrillic characters to evade detection. That account expressed plans to target an elementary school and included anti-LGBTQ+ and antisemitic rhetoric. A direct quote: “I’m on the edge of a LGBTQ massacre.”

Fast-forward to the shooting. One of the only people who tried to sound the alarm was Colt’s mother, who called the school that morning, warning something might happen. A school administrator went to Colt’s classroom, got confused by a student with a similar name, and left with the wrong kid’s backpack. Moments later, the massacre began.

Now, let’s refresh your memory about dear, old Dad.

Colt’s father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, is facing 29 charges, including second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children, and involuntary manslaughter. Why? Because he allegedly bought his son the AR-platform-style weapon used in the shooting as a Christmas present. You know, the kind of thoughtful gift you give when you want to celebrate the birth of Jesus with as much firepower as possible.

Colin Gray didn’t just leave the gun unsecured. He gave it to a kid who had already been flagged by the FBI. A kid who had posted threats online. A kid who was reportedly fascinated with Parkland and Sandy Hook. But apparently, Colin Gray must have thought the cure for mental health issues was a father-son deer hunting trip. Because nothing says ’emotional stability’ like blood on your cheeks after your first kill.

When investigators questioned Colin Gray after the shooting, he wasn’t surprised. He didn’t even seem remorseful. He admitted to receiving disturbing texts from his daughter and ex-wife the morning of the shooting. When he didn’t see the rifle in Colt’s room, he finally put two and two together.

Now, let’s talk about the latest development in this absolute dumpster fire. Colin Gray and his legal team have filed a motion to move the trial out of Barrow County. They claim the “community feeling is strongly set against him” and that the “media coverage has prejudiced potential jurors.”

That tends to happen when you give your 14-year-old a battlefield-grade weapon, and he uses it to execute four people in less than a minute.

Colin Gray is currently sitting in jail on a $500,000 bond, which he hasn’t posted yet. Both he and Colt have pleaded not guilty. If convicted on all counts, Colin Gray could be looking at 180 years. Colt is facing four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult under Georgia’s “seven deadly sins” law. He could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison.

And yet here we are, talking about venue. As if putting this trial in a different zip code will make anyone forget the photo of Colt’s rifle barrel sticking out of his backpack. As if relocating the jury pool will change the fact that two 14-year-old boys and two teachers are dead. As if moving counties will erase the blood from Colin Gray’s hands.

But you know what? I say give it to him. Winder, Georgia, sits between Atlanta and Athens. Unless they move the trial to wherever Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district is, it’s highly unlikely relocating the trial will matter. If you change the venue, that gives Colin Gray one less opportunity for appeal when he’s convicted.

When it comes to prosecuting the parents of school shooters who either allow, or in this case, give the gun to their child who uses it in a mass shooting, let there be no excuses.

(Sources)

UPDATE 4/5/2025: Accused shooter, Colt Gray, also wants to have the venue changed for his trial for pretty much the same reasons as dear old dad.

UPDATE 4/21/2025: Colin Gray’s trial will be heard by jurors from outside the county. Which county that will be, has not been determined yet.

UPDATE 5/7/2025: Colin Gray’s trial date has been set for September 8th.

UPDATE 5/20/2025: A judge has ruled that Colin Gray’s trial will be heard by a jury from Hall County, but the trial itself will still be held in Barrow County.

Both counties are right next to each other, so I’m pretty sure the people of Hall County might be a tad familiar with the shooting.

UPDATE 9/5/2025: Due to conflicting attorney schedules, the trial for Colin Gray, which was supposed to start next week, has been rescheduled for February 9th, 2026.