WINDER, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Several witnesses testified Wednesday about the confusion surrounding the identity of shooter who killed four people and injured nine others at Apalachee High School more than a year ago.

The testimony came during the third day in the trial of Colin Gray, whose son Colt Gray is charged in the Sept. 4, 2024 mass shooting. Colin Gray is facing 29 felony counts for allegedly allowing his son access to an AR-style rifle.

Brandon King, a deputy from the Barrow County sheriff’s office assigned as a school resource officer (SRO) to the school, testified he received a call from Deigh Martin, then an Apalachee assistant principal, informing him about a concerning email about a student.

King testified Martin had been told the student was carrying a large bookbag and was asking questions about active shooter drills. King added he knew nothing about the student or what he looked like.

King testified he was told to be searching for a student named Colt Gray, who was found in a restroom. But that student merely had a similar name and, when found, was subjected to a pat down. King said that student was shocked and confused about why he was bring searched.

At that point, King testified SROs realized there was another student named Colt Gray.

“I think we knew at that time it was kind of a mix up,” Martin testified.

King testified he returned to the school counselor’s office but didn’t find Colt Gray there. King said the counselor told him that Colt Gray’s mother had called that morning and was worried about him.

King testified he was shown a fourth-grade photo of Colt Gray. He said SROs were preparing to search the school’s J Hall area when they heard gunshots.

““I said, ‘Show me your f*****g hands!’,” King testified, and said the shooter put his hands up.

“He got on his stomach, put his arms out on his sides like an airplane, and turned his head to the side not looking at us,” King said. He testified the shooter’s pockets were full of rifle magazines.

King testified he located a victim - later identified as Mason Schermerhorn - but “there was no amount of medical care they could render to save his life.”

Colin Gray’s defense team continually pointed out SROs had no description of the shooter other that a “white male,” and that school officials and others had made mistakes besides Colin Gray.

>> Colin Gray’s Apalachee school shooting trial | What you need to know

Joseph Clark, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent, responded to the shooting. Clark testified he had to deliver the death notification to the family of Ricky Aspinwall, one of the four victims killed in the shooting.

Clark also said he made contact with the treating physician for Taylor (a juvenile, last name withheld), a 14-year-old student who was shot in the leg.

Prosecutors presented photographs of Taylor’s blood-stained clothing from the day of the shooting.

Zane Zeini, now a former Apalachee High School student, testified he was in the school restroom and heard loud banging as he made his way back to class. He said he witnessed a girl running past him, turned around and saw the shooter.

“I had run back to the classroom, and per the rules the teacher couldn’t let me in so she told me to go hide in the bathroom,” Zeini said, who testified he remained hidden in the bathroom for several minutes until officers arrived and escorted him to safety.

“I texted my family, and said ‘I love y’all’ and told them what the situation was,” Zeini said.

Donovan Boyd, a school resource officer, testified he initially responded to assist in locating the shooter within the school building. He and other SROs heard gunshots and ran down the hallway toward the sound, he said.

Boyd testified once he was close enough enough to identify the shooter as a student, the SROs commanded, “Drop the gun.” Boyd said Colt Gray was “compliant,” and immediately dropped the weapon. Boyd testified SROs recovered multiple magazines from Colt Gray’s pockets.

DETAILS

Defense attorneys cross-examined Boyd and tried to establish SROs were operating with incomplete information, and that school administrators and others made critical mistakes besides Colin Gray.

The jury of eight men and seven women is expected to hear three weeks of testimony. If convicted on all counts, Colin Gray faces up to 180 years in prison.

>> Full coverage of the Apalachee High School shooting

Colt Gray, the alleged shooter, has not yet had his trial date set and faces charges including four counts of malice murder. Both Colin Gray and Colt Gray have pleaded not guilty.

Atlanta News First will stream the trial gavel-to-gavel until its conclusion.

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