BARROW COUNTY, GA — Testimony continued into the second week of the trial of Colin Gray as jurors listened to the mother of the accused Apalachee high school shooter about her son’s behavior and family conflict before the 2024 shooting.
During the trial on Monday, Marcee Gray says she worried about her son’s mental health but did not believe he wanted to emulate other school shooters.
“He never showed an interest in a way that led me to believe he was idolizing anyone,” Marcee Gray said.
The judge denied a defense motion for a mistrial after Marcee Gray testified that her husband was emotionally abusing their son.
She testified that Colt was well-behaved until middle school, due to frequent moves, her substance abuse, and the parents’ separation. By 2023, she said he began vandalizing property. As his family life became increasingly unstable, Colts behavior became more erratic.
“You could tell he had a lot of anger and just yuck inside of him,” she said.
Marcee Gray said under cross examination that during the two months before the shooting, her son’s behavior was somewhat improved. However, it still included anxiety and aggression.
She said he showed interest in mass shootings.
“I wouldn’t call it an obsession,” describing the interest as connected to the true crime genre, rather than violent intent. “He never showed an interest in a way that led me to believe he was idolizing anyone.”
The defense argued Marcee Gray had information about the teen’s behavior that she did not share with her husband, including that the teen sent money to a convicted Florida school shooter and lied to his father to obtain the cash.
Colt, who was 14 years old at the time of the shooting, faces 55 counts, including murder in the deaths of four people including two teachers and two students. Several others were also injured in the shooting.
WSB Radio’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story.