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Written by: A. Smith
Published April 4, 2025 @ 2:40 PM ET
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. – Attorneys representing Colt Gray, the teenager charged in the deadly Apalachee High School shooting, are asking a judge to move his trial out of Barrow County, citing concerns that widespread media coverage has tainted the local jury pool.
Gray is facing 55 charges, including multiple counts of murder, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children, following the Sept. 4 shooting inside the school’s J hall. Two teachers—Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53—and two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, were killed. Nine others were wounded.
According to investigators, Gray used a semi-automatic AR-15-style rifle in the attack. Authorities later discovered a notebook with drawings resembling the shooting and a checklist outlining steps leading up to the incident. A collection of newspaper clippings and photos related to past school shootings was also found behind his computer desk at home.
In a motion filed this week in Barrow County Superior Court, defense attorneys argued that intense media scrutiny and public reaction have compromised their client’s right to a fair trial.
“The extensive publicity has biased the Barrow County jury pool against Gray,” the filing states. “Transferring the case to another jurisdiction would help ensure a more impartial jury and potentially reduce the resources required to find one locally.”
Gray’s father, Colin Gray, filed a similar motion last month. He faces 29 charges, including second-degree murder, and is accused of providing his son with access to the firearm used in the attack. Investigators say Colin Gray was aware the weapon was missing on the day of the shooting and did not express immediate shock or remorse when he learned about the incident.
Prosecutors have not yet responded to the defense’s request for a venue change.