BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — The father of the suspected shooter at Apalachee High School that killed four people became visibly emotional during testimony Friday.
Colin Gray broke down in tears talking about his son, Colt Gray, and the video he watched a day earlier showing surveillance footage of the mass shooting.
His testimony from Day 10 of the trial LIVE on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4:00 p.m.
“I struggle with it everyday,” he said. “I’d never seen that video until yesterday. Whew, it was - he’s a good kid you know? He wasn’t perfect, but to do something uh that heinous, like I don’t, I don’t know if anybody would see that type of evil.
“The Colt I knew, the relationship I had, it was a whole other side of Colt I didn’t know existed.”
Earlier, he testified about learning his son, Colt Gray, had done an online search for “how to kill your dad” in 2021.
Oh, I was concerned," he said.
He said he immediately went to Colt to talk about it and understand why he did it. Colt told him he and his friends were all venting about things, and one was complaining about their father.
“So, Colt said as a joking thing, he said ‘I Google searched it as a random thing,’” Colin Gray said. “I explained to him what a serious thing that was, and the red flags that come along with that. That’s not a typical thing a kid would do or search.”
He also spoke about the gun he gave Colt Gray as a Christmas present. Prosecutors said it was the same gun the teen used in the shooting Sept. 4, 2024.
He said he bought the gun after he got his son into hunting.
“I said I have one more thing for you. I said this is a weapon. I want you to shoot when we go to the range, and if you keep doing good in school, going to school, you graduate, when you’re 18 this will be your gun.”
Seven months before he bought the gun for Colt, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office accused the son of threatening to shoot up a school online.
Prosecutors have also pointed to the guns not being locked up. Colin Gray said Friday that no loaded weapon were allowed inside the house, and he believed Colt was respectful of the rule.
Colin Gray said the guns generally stayed in his closet but would also occasionally be in Colt’s room before or after they went to hunt or target shoot.
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Colin Gray is charged with 29 crimes, including second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children, and involuntary manslaughter.
A Ben Hill County school counselor, Sujette Giddens, previously took the stand and testified on Colt Gray concerning searches on school computers in 2021.
School staff sent a resource officer from the school to the Gray home after finding the search for “how to kill your dad” on Colt’s computer.
Students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and 53-year-old Cristina Irimie were killed in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting. Nine others were injured.
Colt Gray faces 55 charges, including malice and felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and cruelty to children. His trial date has not been set.
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