By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Colin Gray testified in his own defense, stating he never foresaw his son’s violent actions and described him as a good kid with an unknown dark side. Despite prior incidents like online threats and searches related to violence, Gray believed his son’s explanations and did not personally investigate his online activity. He also defended his decision to gift his son an AR-15-style rifle and keep firearms unsecured, believing his son respected weapons. Prosecutors argue Gray was criminally reckless by allowing unsecured access to the weapon despite warnings.
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The father of the Georgia school shooter, Colin Gray, took the stand in court, maintaining that he never observed any warning signs that his son, Colt Gray, was capable of such violence. This declaration comes amidst a cascade of testimony that paints a starkly different picture, particularly from his own daughter. The core of his defense rests on a perceived absence of any indicators that would have alerted him to the impending tragedy.
However, the narrative presented by his daughter, Jenny Gray, directly contradicts this claim of obliviousness. She testified to the presence of at least three firearms in their home that were not secured. Crucially, she revealed that an assault rifle, a gift from her father to her older brother Colt, was permitted to be kept in Colt’s bedroom. When questioned about her feelings regarding Colt possessing this weapon, Jenny unequivocally stated her concern.
Further adding to the weight of this contradiction, Jenny Gray recalled the harrowing moments after the shooting. When asked by prosecutors if she “pretty much knew” it was her brother responsible upon hearing of the incident, she answered with a simple yet damning “Yes.” This suggests a pre-existing awareness of Colt’s potential for extreme actions, an awareness that seemingly bypassed her father.
The father’s alleged actions following Colt’s detainment also come under scrutiny. Jenny Gray testified that her father instructed her to lie to investigators about his knowledge of the images displayed on Colt’s bedroom walls. Specifically, he is accused of telling her to deny that he recognized the posters as depicting Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. This alleged directive to mislead authorities implies a consciousness of the gravity of the situation and a desire to conceal potentially incriminating knowledge.
Jenny Gray described her relationship with her father as merely “alright,” highlighting a distance that perhaps contributed to his claimed lack of awareness. She has since chosen to live with a foster family and has had no contact with either of her parents, a decision she attributes to the superior stability, love, and familial environment she experiences now. Her new home life, she stated, allows for more family activities than she ever experienced when living with her father.
The testimony also revealed frequent arguments between Colt and his father, with Jenny Gray recounting instances where Colt physically rammed into Colin Gray. Such volatile interactions could be interpreted as significant behavioral indicators that a parent might observe.
The court also heard about Colt Gray’s prior online activity. In 2021, he had searched for “how to kill your dad,” and in 2023, he was investigated for an online threat to commit a school shooting. In May of that same year, deputies visited the Gray residence after the FBI provided a tip about this threat. Despite these serious concerns raised by law enforcement, the father continued to possess unsecured firearms within the home.
The father’s account of the firearms in their home is also problematic. He stated he first acquired a Bushmaster rifle for Colt, which he used for range practice and deer hunting, describing the day Colt shot his first deer as “the greatest day of my life.” When this rifle repeatedly jammed, he traded it for a Sig Sauer, an AR-15-style rifle, which he gifted to Colt for Christmas in 2023. He asserted that he was clear about the rules, stating, “No loaded guns in the house ever, and he abided by those rules. He respected the weapon.” He also claimed, “We didn’t have it in a safe. We didn’t have locks on it. But I’m telling you, he had a healthy respect for weapons.”
This assertion of his son’s respect for weapons stands in stark contrast to the daughter’s testimony and Colt’s online searches. Furthermore, the father claimed he thought the posters on Colt’s wall were of “Weird Al Yankovich,” a statement that strains credulity given the notoriety of Nikolas Cruz and the context of a school shooting threat. His daughter’s testimony directly refutes this, indicating his knowledge of the posters’ true subject matter.
The father’s testimony centers on his personal perceived lack of red flags, while the evidence presented, particularly from his daughter and concerning his son’s documented behavior and online searches, strongly suggests a pattern of serious parental negligence and a wilful blindness to glaring warning signs. The accessibility of firearms to a minor, coupled with his disturbing online activity and the alleged attempts to mislead investigators, paints a complex and concerning picture that directly challenges his claim of being unaware.