BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — A Barrow County judge says he plans to move forward with the trial for the father of the suspected Apalachee High School gunman later this year, despite attorneys’ requests to change the trial venue again.
Colin Gray’s attorneys filed a motion for a change of venue, saying any jury from Barrow County would be biased toward their client. A judge ruled last month that the jury pool would come from Hall County.
His attorneys filed a motion for reconsideration on June 12, saying that demographics between the counties are similar.
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Gray and his attorneys appeared in court on Tuesday morning where the judge reaffirmed his decision to move forward with pulling jurors from Hall County.
The judge said trying to find jurors from any further than Hall County would cause logistical issues that would push the trial into 2026 instead of the previously planned Sept. 8 start date.
He said that since plans are already in place, it makes more sense to attempt to find an unbiased jury from Hall County later this year.
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“Barrow County shares a border with Hall County, as well as Jackson County, which is within the same Judicial Circuit. Importantly, Hall County receives its news and media coverage from the same regional outlets that serve Barrow County,” the motion reads.
The motions hearing for Gray will begin at 9 a.m. in Barrow County.
Colin Gray’s son, Colt Gray, is accused of shooting and killing four people at Apalachee High School last September, as well as injuring several others.
Colin Gray was charged due to his involvement in procuring a firearm for his then-14-year-old son. The automatic rifle used by Colt Gray in the shooting was given to him as a Christmas gift the year before, according to testimony at hearings after the shooting.
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