### Father and Son Indicted in Connection with Apalachee High School Mass Shooting

A grand jury in Barrow County, Georgia, has brought murder charges against a father and his son for their roles in last month's tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. Fourteen-year-old Colt Gray faces 55 counts including malice murder and felony murder, while his father, Colin Gray, has been indicted on 29 counts, such as second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

Deputy court clerk Missy Headrick confirmed that the indictments were handed down separately for the father and son. Although the clerk's office has not yet processed the documents, it's anticipated they will be made public by Friday. Both Colin and Colt Gray are scheduled for arraignment on November 21, where they are expected to enter formal pleas. Colin Gray is currently held in Barrow County jail, while Colt Gray, despite being charged as an adult, is detained in a juvenile center in Gainesville. Neither has sought bail, and their legal representatives have not commented on the matter.

During a preliminary hearing, investigators reported that Colt Gray smuggled a semiautomatic rifle onto his school bus concealed within a poster board. The rifle was used to unleash violence in his school, targeting both students and teachers. The shooting resulted in the deaths of teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, all aged 14. Additionally, another teacher and eight students were injured, seven of whom suffered gunshot wounds.

Evidence revealed that Colt Gray meticulously planned the attack, even leaving behind a notebook with detailed steps and a grim estimate of potential casualties. The teenager had a documented history of mental health issues, including severe anxiety attacks and suicidal ideations. Despite his mother Marcee Gray's attempts to limit his access to firearms, his father provided him with ammunition and shooting accessories.

The family's plan to seek mental health treatment for Colt on August 31 fell apart following a parental disagreement over his access to guns. Colin Gray's lack of securing the firearms he provided to his son has drawn parallels to the Michigan case where Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted for their son's school shooting in 2021.

"In this case, your honor, he had primary custody of Colt. He had knowledge of Colt's obsessions with school shooters. He had knowledge of Colt's deteriorating mental state. And he provided the firearms and the ammunition that Colt used in this," District Attorney Brad Smith emphasized during the preliminary hearing.