ATLANTA (AP) — Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the trial of a man whose teenage son is accused of killing two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school in September 2024.
Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter and numerous counts of second-degree cruelty to children related to the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. He is one of a handful of parents around the country charged with crimes after their children are accused of committing acts of violence.
An indictment says Gray committed cruelty to children by giving his son, Colt, access to a gun and ammunition “after receiving sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger the bodily safety of another.” Second-degree murder, an unusual charge under Georgia law, is defined as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children.
Killed in the shooting were teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Another teacher and eight other students were wounded.
Investigators have said Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time, carefully planned the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school northeast of Atlanta that is attended by 1,900 students.
He wrote step-by-step plans for the assault in a notebook, including diagrams and potential body counts, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified at a hearing the month after the shooting.
With a semiautomatic, assault-style rifle in his book bag, the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board, he boarded the school bus, investigators said. He left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the gun and then shot people in a classroom and hallways, investigators said.
Colin Gray had given his son the gun as a gift the Christmas before the shooting and later, at his son's request, bought a larger magazine so the weapon could hold more rounds, an investigator testified during a pretrial hearing.
Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, prosecutors have said. A GBI agent testified that the teen's parents had discussed their son’s fascination with school shooters but decided that it was in a joking context and not a serious issue.
Colin Gray was also aware his son's mental health had deteriorated, investigators testified. Seeking help from a counseling service weeks before the shooting, he wrote about his son: “We have had a very difficult past couple of years and he needs help. Anger, anxiety, quick to be volatile. I don’t know what to do.”
The trial will be held in Winder, in Barrow County, where Apalachee High School is located. But jury selection will take place in Gainesville, in Hall County, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away.
Colin Gray's lawyer had sought a change of venue, arguing publicity may have tainted the opinion of potential Barrow County jurors. Prosecutors agreed, noting the impact the shooting had on the community.
The defense was unhappy with the judge's selection of Hall County for the jury pool, acknowledging the convenience for jurors but arguing it was too close, remaining “within the geographic epicenter of this tragedy.”
The judge in the case set bond for Gray at $500,000, but he has remained in custody since he was arrested the day after shooting.
It's unknown how long jury selection will take after it begins Monday or how long the trial will last once testimony gets underway. The judge has blocked off three weeks for jury selection and the trial.
There have been a number of cases around the country where prosecutors have chosen to charge parents when they believe there is evidence a parent contributed to violence attributed to a child.
Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first parents in the U.S. to be held criminally responsible for a mass shooting at a school by a child. They were convicted months before the shooting at Apalachee High School and are serving 10-year prison terms for involuntary manslaughter.
Their son, Ethan Crumbley, killed four students and wounded others at Michigan’s Oxford High School in 2021. Prosecutors faulted the Crumbleys for not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health. They said Ethan’s actions were foreseeable and the parents had failed to prevent the violence.
Jeffrey Rupnow is charged with intentionally giving a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 causing death. His daughter, Natalie Rupnow, 15, killed a student and a teacher at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, and killed herself in December 2024.
Robert Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and was sentenced for endorsing his son’s Illinois gun permit in 2019 despite knowing Robert Crimo III had expressed suicidal thoughts. Crimo III killed seven people in 2022 at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, a northern suburb of Chicago.
Colt Gray was indicted on a total of 55 counts, including murder in the deaths of four people and 25 counts of aggravated assault. He has pleaded not guilty, but a lawyer for the teen said during a hearing in May that his client would likely be ready to plead guilty after a psychologist's report was prepared.
New lawyers have started representing him since then. At a brief hearing in December, the judge said a status hearing in the case would be held in mid-March.
FILE - Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, sits in the courtroom at the Barrow County courthouse, on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Winder,Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
FILE - Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, arrives to the courtroom at the Barrow County courthouse on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Winder,Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Defense won this championship.
Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.
Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.
Walker became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP award since Terrell Davis 28 years ago.
Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive performance by snagging Maye’s pass in the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it back 45 yards for a pick-6.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling, bro,” Witherspoon said. “You talk about a group of guys who battle every day, who believe in each other and believe in their coach, you can’t describe this group no better. It’s just a one-of-a-kind feeling. I was just so happy to battle with these guys. We went through a lot, but we believed. All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”
Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense helped Darnold become the first quarterback in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl, ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.
“To do this with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”
Labeled a bust, dumped by two teams and considered expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters wrong while helping the Seahawks go 17-3.
After leading the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff games. He wasn’t particularly sharp against a solid Patriots defense but protected the ball and made enough plays, finishing 19 of 38 for 202 yards.
“I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little bit better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room and the coaches that put in so much effort throughout the whole season.”
The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, including two apiece by Hall and Murphy. Hall’s strip-sack late in the third quarter set up a short field and Darnold connected with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.
Julian Love’s interception set up another field goal that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.
The Patriots (17-4) punted on the first eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.
“We had a really good year, one that I’m proud of,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “But this game wasn’t a reflection of that. We were outcoached and outplayed.”
Down 19-0, Maye and the Patriots' offense finally got going. He hit Mack Hollins over the middle in traffic for 24 yards and then lofted a perfect 35-yard TD pass to Hollins down the left side to cut the deficit to 19-7.
Tom Brady once led Bill Belichick’s Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta for a 34-28 overtime victory.
But Maye, who was runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award in the closest race in two decades, didn’t come close. He had a chance to get it closer, but his ill-advised pass into triple coverage was picked by Love and the Patriots trailed by 15 when they got the ball back with 5:35 left.
Then came Nwosu’s touchdown, a fitting way to cap an overwhelming effort by the NFL’s stingiest defense.
“Definitely hurts. They played better than us tonight,” Maye said.
Maye’s 7-yard TD pass to Rhamondre Stevenson late in the game only made the margin smaller.
The Seahawks took a 3-0 lead on Myers’ 33-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive. Myers connected from 39 and 41 yards to extend the lead to 9-0 at halftime. He was good from 41 on Seattle’s first drive of the third quarter to make it 12-0.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez made two outstanding plays to prevent potential touchdowns in the second quarter. He raced back and leaped in the air to slap away a deep pass to Rashid Shaheed that could have been a 76-yard TD.
On Seattle’s last drive in the first half, Gonzalez knocked down a pass to All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that would have been a 23-yard TD.
Rylie Mills pushed left guard Jared Wilson into Maye and took both of them down on one of Seattle’s sacks.
Bad Bunny headlined a visually stunning halftime performance that also featured appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist entirely in Spanish.
The Patriots failed to win the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl, which would have set an NFL record. They’re tied with the Steelers with six championships.
Vrabel, the AP NFL Coach of the Year, was aiming to become the fifth person to win a Super Bowl as a player and head coach and the first to do both with the same team.
The 23-year-old Maye was trying to become the youngest QB to win a Lombardi Trophy. Ben Roethlisberger still holds that mark.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold celebrates after a win over the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald hold the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald is reflected in the Lombardi Trophy after a win over the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold eyes the Lombardi Trophy after a win over the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Seattle Seahawks Byron Murphy II (91), Devon Witherspoon (21), and the Seahawks defense celebrate after Murphy recovered a fumble after a sack during the third quarter of Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) celebrates his touchdown on a fumble recovery during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner catches a touchdown pass during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is sacked by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Rylie Mills, right, sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, left, during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Rylie Mills celebrates after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Rylie Mills (98) celebrates after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald walks the field during an NFL Super Bowl football practice on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, left, talks with team owner Robert Kraft at the practice venue for their Super Bowl 60 NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) arrives during an NFL Super Bowl football practice on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye waits to be in a group photo at their practice venue for the Super Bowl 60 NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
