Georgia School Shooting Survivors Testify: 'We Were Kids' in Father's Trial
High school students in Georgia delivered emotional testimony on Tuesday, recounting the terror they endured during a deadly shooting in their algebra class two years ago. Through tears, they described witnessing a classmate lying in a pool of blood, discovering their own injuries, and fearing for their lives as gunfire erupted.
The testimony came during the trial of Colin Gray, father of accused shooter Colt Gray. Prosecutors allege Colt meticulously planned the September 4, 2024, attack at a school northeast of Atlanta, which resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students, with several others wounded.
Survivors' Harrowing Accounts
A ninth-grade girl testified that moments after the shooting began in her Algebra I class, she noticed a hole in her wrist and began screaming. "I was also worried that I was going to die and how that would affect my parents because my dad has a heart problem," she told the court.
As paramedics carried her from the building, she saw Colt Gray on the floor with his hands restrained behind his back. "I remember yelling at him that we were kids, because we were kids," she said, describing how she screamed obscenities at him as she passed. Due to their young ages, the faces of her and other testifying survivors were not shown during the video livestream of the proceedings.
Prosecution's Case Against the Father
Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith argued in his opening statement that Colin Gray should be held responsible for providing the weapon despite multiple warnings about alleged threats made by his son. "This case is about this defendant and his actions in allowing a child that he has custody over access to a firearm and ammunition after being warned that that child was going to harm others," Smith declared.
Prosecutors contend this constitutes cruelty to children, with Georgia law defining second-degree murder as causing a child's death through such cruelty. Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, faces 29 counts including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and numerous counts of second-degree cruelty to children.
Defense Arguments and Evidence Presented
Defense attorney Brian Hobbs countered that the shooting's planning and timing "were hidden by Colt Gray from his father." He emphasized, "That's the difference between tragedy and criminal liability. You cannot hold someone criminally responsible for failing to predict what was intentionally hidden from them."
Investigators revealed that Colt Gray boarded a school bus with a semiautomatic rifle concealed in his book bag, the barrel protruding and wrapped in poster board. He later left his second-period class, emerged from a bathroom with the weapon, and opened fire in classrooms and hallways.
History of Warnings and Concerning Behavior
Prosecutors presented evidence of numerous red flags preceding the tragedy. In September 2021, Colt Gray used a school computer to search "how to kill your dad," prompting school resource officers to visit the home, though it was ultimately dismissed as a misunderstanding.
Sixteen months before the shooting, in May 2023, law enforcement acted on an FBI tip about an online shooting threat targeting an elementary school, traced to a computer at the Gray residence. When questioned, Colin Gray reportedly stated he and his son "take this school shooting stuff very seriously," while Colt denied making the threat, claiming his account had been hacked.
That Christmas, Colin Gray gifted his son the firearm used in the shooting and subsequently purchased accessories including "a lot of ammunition." Prosecutors noted the teen maintained a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland school massacre, and that his parents had discussed his fascination with school shooters but deemed it unserious.
Mental Health Concerns and Final Warning
An investigator testified that Colin Gray was aware of his son's deteriorating mental health, having sought counseling services weeks before the shooting. In written correspondence, Gray expressed, "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." However, Smith asserted Gray never followed through on concerns about inpatient treatment.
Three weeks prior to the attack, Gray received a chilling text from his son: "Whenever something happens, just know the blood is on your hands." This case represents one of several nationwide where prosecutors are attempting to hold parents accountable when their children are accused of fatal shootings, testing the boundaries of parental responsibility in gun violence tragedies.
