Apalachee High shooting: Judge rules on Colin Gray venue change request

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BARROW COUNTY, Ga. – A Barrow County judge has granted a motion to change the venue for jury selection in the upcoming trial of Colin Gray, the father of the teenager accused of carrying out a deadly school shooting at Apalachee High School. The decision follows concerns over the intense media coverage and community impact of the case, which has garnered statewide and national attention.

What we know:

Colin Gray faces 29 charges, including second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children, after authorities say he allowed his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, access to the weapon used in the September 2024 shooting. The attack claimed the lives of two students—14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo—and two teachers, 53-year-old Cristina Irimie and 39-year-old Coach Richard Aspinwall. Nine others were injured.

Gray’s legal team filed a motion in March requesting a change in venue, citing extensive media coverage and emotional public reaction as potential obstacles to a fair trial. A hearing on the motion was held on April 17. The court ultimately agreed that an impartial jury would be difficult to seat in Barrow County.

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What they’re saying:

According to the May 16 order signed by Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm, jury selection will now take place in Hall County using Hall County jurors. The trial itself will remain in Barrow County. The court found that selecting jurors from Hall County—located about 25 miles from the Barrow County courthouse—would reduce the risk of bias while maintaining manageable logistics for the trial. Barrow County will cover all expenses related to the jury selection in Hall County.

The ruling outlines multiple reasons why other suggested counties, including Walton, Effingham, Bryan, and Glynn, were not feasible venues. These included scheduling conflicts, limited courtroom availability, and logistical complications. Walton County, for example, was rejected due to its proximity to the incident and the possibility that many jurors there would have personal or professional ties to Barrow County.

The order further notes the complexity of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks. Barrow County’s upgraded courtroom technology and existing workspace accommodations for attorneys played a role in the decision to keep the trial itself local.

Court records detail disturbing findings following the school shooting, including a notebook belonging to Colt Gray that contained plans and drawings similar to the attack, and a shrine in his room dedicated to past school shootings. Investigators also said Colin Gray admitted to giving his son an AR-15-style rifle and failed to show immediate remorse after learning of the shooting.

Colin Gray is the first parent in Georgia to face charges connected to a crime committed by their child.

What’s next:

Jury selection is expected to begin Sept. 8 and the trial is expected to last approximately three weeks, according to the judge’s ruling. 

Status of Colt Gray’s case

Attorneys for Colt Gray also filed a motion to change the trial venue for the teenager. However, during a status hearing in early May, Colt Gray’s attorneys asked for more time ahead of a possible plea hearing later this year. 

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What we know:

Colt Gray is facing 55 charges, including multiple counts of murder, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children, related to the Apalachee High School shooting.

After the deadly shooting, which also injured several people, investigators found a notebook belonging to Colt Gray that contained drawings eerily matching the events of the school shooting, as well as a checklist outlining steps Colt planned to take. They also found a “shrine of sorts” behind Colt’s computer desk in his home, consisting of approximately 15 photographs and newspaper articles about past school shootings and school shooters.

The GBI also learned from Colt’s father, Colin Gray, that he had received unsettling text messages from both his daughter and ex-wife on the day of the shooting. After reading the texts, Colin said he went home and turned on the news, where he saw reports of the shooting at Colt’s school. He told investigators that he then went to Colt’s room to look for the AR-15-style rifle he had given him, only to find it missing. Investigators testified that Colin Gray did not seem surprised when he was informed of the shooting and did not immediately express remorse after learning about the incident.