Overview
- Opening statements began Monday, followed by emotional testimony from a teacher, Sheriff Jud Smith and multiple students describing the 2024 attack, with minors shielded from cameras by court order.
- Prosecutors say Colin Gray gifted his son an AR‑15‑style rifle in December 2023 and later bought a larger magazine, ammunition and other gear despite prior warnings from law enforcement.
- The state’s charges hinge on alleging cruelty to children that resulted in deaths, supporting second‑degree murder counts, while the defense argues the teen hid his plans and that harm was not foreseeable.
- The trial remains in Barrow County with jurors drawn from Hall County; the judge restricted recording of sensitive evidence and juvenile faces, and the proceedings are expected to last about three weeks.
- Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including second‑degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, and has pleaded not guilty; his son, Colt, now 16, is separately indicted on 55 counts and remains jailed.