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The courtroom reckoning in Colin Gray’s Apalachee shooting trial is scheduled to begin one week from today, marking a pivotal moment in a case that has gripped Georgia and reignited national debate over parental accountability in school shootings.

Colin Gray, the father of Colt Gray — the teen accused of killing four people and wounding nine others at Apalachee High School — faces a sweeping indictment that could carry a maximum sentence of 180 years in prison if he is convicted on all counts.

Charges and Potential Sentence

Colin Gray is charged with 55 counts tied to the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the Winder, Georgia, school. The charges include two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, multiple counts of second-degree cruelty to children and reckless conduct.

He has pleaded not guilty.

His son, Colt Gray, has also pleaded not guilty. The younger Gray faces a separate prosecution, though his trial date has not yet been set.

Colt Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder, four counts of malice murder, four counts of aggravated battery, 25 counts of aggravated assault and 18 counts of first-degree cruelty to children.

Under Georgia law, each of the four felony murder counts carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, with or without the possibility of parole.

The Victims

The shooting claimed the lives of two teachers — Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie — and two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Nine others were injured.

The names have become more than entries in a court record; they are the human toll at the heart of a legal battle that stretches beyond the school’s hallways and into questions of responsibility at home.

Allegations Against the Father

Prosecutors allege that Colin Gray provided his son access to the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack. Authorities say he purchased the AR-style weapon as a holiday gift in December 2023.

Months earlier, in May 2023, the FBI reportedly alerted local law enforcement about online threats concerning a potential school shooting linked to Colt Gray.

When officers contacted Colin Gray at that time, he allegedly told them his son did not have unsupervised access to firearms.

That assurance now sits at the center of the state’s case.

Trial Logistics and Timeline

Nicholas Primm, chief judge of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit and the presiding judge in the case, has estimated that Colin Gray’s trial will last approximately three weeks.

Jury selection will take place in Hall County, and Hall County residents will serve as jurors. However, the trial itself will be held in neighboring Barrow County, where the shooting occurred. The two counties are roughly 27 miles apart.

Primm agreed with both prosecutors and defense attorneys that Colin Gray would not be tried before a jury composed of Barrow County residents.