BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — The little sister of suspected Apalachee High School shooter, Colt Gray, testified against their father in court Tuesday.
Colin Gray is on trial, accused of giving his son, Colt, the gun used in the shooting.
Prosecutors have charged the dad with 29 crimes linked to the mass shooting, arguing the father knew his son could cause harm, yet he never locked up the guns in the home.
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Channel 2 Action News is not releasing the sister’s name due to her age.
She told jurors she spoke to her dad about taking guns away from Colt before the shooting.
Prosecutor Patricia Brooks asked her if he ever did that.
She responded, “No.”
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She said she was in middle school at the time of the mas shooting, and she said as soon as she got word of an emergency there, she thought of her brother, Colt.
“I knew pretty well that Colt was the one that was doing it, and I knew pretty well that my dad knew, too,” said the sister.
She said she was aware her brother rarely went to school, had panic attacks, violent outbursts, and he had photos of a convicted school shooter on his bedroom wall.
She said her dad was discussing getting Colt counseling.
“He wanted to get Colt help, but he didn’t know how to take that first step,” she told the jury.
She told the jury there were at least three unlocked guns in their home. She said her dad talked about locking them up but never did.
She also told jurors that she noticed her brother packed a poster board in his backpack before school on Sept. 4. She asked him what it was, and she said he told her it was for a school project.
Then, prosecutors asked her if she felt pressure to cover for her dad when she was on her way to interview with investigators the day after the shooting.
“Yes, ma’am,” she replied.
She said her father instructed her to downplay the gun storage in the home to investigators and the pictures on her brother’s wall of a convicted school shooter.
The defense argued the child is lying because she wants to stay with her new foster family.
Defense attorney Brian Hobbs asked the teen, “Has anyone told you that if your dad wins this trial you might not be able to get adopted?”
“No, sir,” she answered.
“Do you hope to stay with the current family?” asked Hobbs.
She answered, “I don’t know, sir.”
“You certainly don’t want to go through life known as the sister of a school shooter,” said Hobbs.
“Yes, sir,” she responded.
Hobbs continued, “Or the sister who knew that he had taken his gun to school but didn’t’ tell anyone.”
People in the courtroom gasped when he suggested that theory.
Prosecutors jumped up before she could answer to object.
They argued it was badgering a witness.
Hobbs continued, “And staying in your current situation, that’s all a lot easier if your dad is convicted in trial, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir,” said answered.
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