Month: March 2026

A Barrow County jury has found 55-year-old Colin Gray guilty on 27 counts — including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children — for his role in the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Jurors reached their decision in under two hours following a two-week trial. Two additional charges were dismissed.

The case centers on the Sept. 4, 2024 attack, when Gray’s son, Colt Gray, then 14, allegedly brought an AR-15-style rifle onto campus and opened fire. Investigators say the weapon was concealed in his backpack as he rode the school bus. After leaving class, he reportedly retrieved the rifle from a bathroom and began shooting in classrooms and hallways. Four people were killed: 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. Another teacher and eight students were injured. Authorities allege the teen carefully planned the assault, leaving behind a notebook outlining preparations and a sketch of his classroom.

Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray ignored mounting warning signs about his son’s worsening mental state and fascination with prior mass shooters. Jurors were shown photos of the teen’s bedroom, including images of Nikolas Cruz, who carried out the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Despite those red flags, prosecutors said, Gray bought his son the rifle as a Christmas gift and provided ammunition.

Assistant District Attorney Patricia Brooks told jurors during closing arguments: “After seeing sign after sign of his son’s deteriorating mental state, his violence, his school shooter obsession, the defendant had sufficient warning that his son was a bomb just waiting to go off. And instead of disarming him, he gave him the detonator.”

Taking the stand in his own defense, Gray acknowledged purchasing the rifle but said he intended to use it for hunting trips and range practice with his son. He testified that the gift came with conditions tied to good behavior and school performance. Fighting back emotion, he said, “I struggle with it every day. I never thought that he would even have a thought process of bringing a gun to school or doing any kind of harm to anybody else. Well, on anybody at school.”  Defense attorney Jimmy Barry maintained that responsibility rests solely with the teen. Showing jurors a photograph of Colt Gray, Barry argued, “Everybody wants to see somebody go to jail other than this young man right here,” adding, “This is the person who needs to be punished. He made a conscious decision to do this – a secretive decision.”

Colt Gray, now 16, is being prosecuted as an adult and faces 55 counts, including felony murder and aggravated assault. He has pleaded not guilty.  Colt Gary faces up to 30 years in prison on the murder counts and could potentially spend the rest of his life behind bars; a trial date has not yet been set.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem endured sharp questioning Tuesday as she appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time since two fatal shootings during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis ignited national outrage.

The hearing unfolded against a tense backdrop: a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security amid a funding impasse, rising concerns about domestic security following violence in Texas, and deepening political divisions over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Much of the session focused on the January deaths of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, who were shot during a large-scale immigration enforcement surge known as Operation Metro Surge. Hundreds of officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been deployed to the state in what DHS initially described as a fraud investigation.

In the immediate aftermath, Noem labeled Pretti’s actions “the definition of domestic terrorism,” drawing fierce criticism. On Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin pressed her repeatedly to retract the claim. “You and your agency rushed to brand these victims as, quote, domestic terrorists,” Durbin said, urging her to apologize.  Noem declined to do so, saying she relied on preliminary reports from agents at what she described as a chaotic scene involving “violent protesters.” She added that condolences had been offered and that investigations were ongoing, but stopped short of admitting error.

While most Republicans defended the administration’s enforcement push, two GOP senators delivered pointed criticism. Sen. Thom Tillis, who is retiring, blasted Noem’s leadership as a “disaster,” accusing DHS of prioritizing arrest quotas over accuracy. “Quality matters, not quantity,” he said, citing cases in which American citizens were detained. He threatened to stall Senate business and block nominees unless the department provides answers about enforcement operations.

Sen. John Kennedy questioned a roughly $200 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign warning migrants against unlawful entry. The contract went to a Republican consulting firm with ties to Noem. Kennedy suggested the ads boosted her profile more than public safety. Noem denied involvement in selecting the firm and called the campaign “extremely effective.”

The hearing also spotlighted a standoff over DHS funding. Democrats have withheld support for a new appropriations bill unless changes are made to immigration enforcement practices after the Minneapolis deaths. Though last year’s spending package left DHS with substantial reserves, parts of the agency — including FEMA and the TSA — remain affected by the lapse. Some Republicans argued the funding delay poses national security risks, particularly amid tensions with Iran. Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that failing to fully fund DHS could leave the country vulnerable. Democrats, meanwhile, accused DHS of overreach and civil rights violations. Protesters and relatives of detainees attended the hearing, briefly interrupting proceedings before being removed.

Lawmakers also asked whether immigration agents might be deployed to polling places in November after Trump suggested expanding federal involvement in elections. Noem said, “There are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations,” adding that states remain responsible for administering elections.

Despite bipartisan skepticism, Trump has publicly backed Noem, even as some Republicans call for her resignation and House Democrats pursue impeachment efforts.  She is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee again on Wednesday

For highlights from Noem’s testimony, head HERE.

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