Georgia school shooting survivors testify

What did you see? VICTIM 1: It was very blurry because it was very quick. I was trying-- I think I was subconsciously trying to not-- once I registered that it was blood and what exactly it was, my brain kind of blocked it out. And I knew what it was. It was a hole. I was also worried that I was going to die and how that would affect my parents because my dad has a heart problem. CBS News correspondent Skyler Henry joining us live from outside the courthouse in Barrow County, Georgia. Skyler, nice to talk to you. Horrible circumstances. It was just so hard to hear the student talking about that, and I know this is a story that has happened over and over again in this country. You were in court today. Tell me what we learned about what happened there, what we gleaned from that. Over and over again inside the courtroom as well, Sara. We heard from 23 witnesses today, including students, teachers, and even the medical professionals that responded to their respective injuries, all recounting what happened that day and the level of their injuries, including the student who you heard from who talked about what she felt when she was shot and also what happened in the minutes and hours following the shooting. But, really, what the prosecution laid out today was the scope entirely of what everyone felt that day, not only from those who were physically injured but the emotional toll that that shooting has taken on them psychologically and from an anxious perspective as well. Take a listen. PROSECUTOR 2: And once it reopened, did you try to go back to school? VICTIM 2: Yeah, I tried for maybe three months. PROSECUTOR 2: OK. And you say you tried. Tell me what that looked like. VICTIM 2: Every time I went back to the school, I would feel like something bad was going to happen again, and I couldn't wait, and I had to go home right after. PROSECUTOR 2: All right. So whenever you were going to school, did you usually make it through the day or not make it through the day? VICTIM 2: I couldn't make it through the day without worrying about what would happen. And that sentiment is something that we heard time and time again. One student even going so far as to say that, in addition to loud noises, she was worried about sitting next to doors in general, sitting inside of classrooms, not wanting to be in public spaces for fear of something like what happened back in September 2024 of happening again. And so a lot of these students that were on the stand today said that they were in counseling sessions in order to try to get over and move through what happened that day. We should also point out that this is the only day that we expect to hear from students in this trial. Moving forward, the prosecution is expected to bring forth other experts and witnesses. This is expected to last for about three weeks, as Colin Gray is facing nearly 30 charges, including murder and manslaughter charges as well, as you pointed out, as prosecutors and investigators claiming that he is the one who bought the AR-15-style rifle, gifted that to Colt, the same weapon that was used in the shooting that day. Yeah, Skyler, that is what makes this part of it so unique, being the father of the accused shooter. And I do want to ask you about the other piece of all of this story. Colt Gray himself last appeared in court in December. What is next in the legal process for him?

No trial has been set yet. There are still some pretrial procedures that are moving through the process as of now, mental health evaluations and other things like that before any sort of date could be put on the books here. Remember, this is a separate criminal case altogether. And so what we're seeing with this trial against his father, Colin, certainly unprecedented in this state. We have some context, seeing some other instances where parents of convicted school shooters get convicted themselves because of what prosecutors claim is negligence on their part. I think what is interesting in this case, as prosecutors laid out so clearly yesterday during their opening statements, is that they feel as if this is not a case of parents having to keep a watchful eye on their child day in and day out, though the defense argues that Colt Gray had a split personality or what they refer to as a double personality. They say that Colin Gray, the prosecutors, they say that he failed on multiple levels, on multiple fronts, dating back to a year prior to the shooting from preventing Colt Gray from being able to get his hands on that weapon. That includes the gift that I pointed out. That includes confrontations with law enforcement a year prior. It includes other warning signs that prosecutors say were there and should have been there. And to point this out as well. There was a shrine inside of Colt Gray's room of the Parkland shooter. And so they say that those things should have been a clear sign, certainly, to remove the AR-15-style rifle from immediate possession of Colt. Definitely should have stepped in and gotten some sort of mental, if not counseling, help altogether to try to prevent what happened there. And so I think that is what we will see continue to be laid out as this trial moves forward.

Yeah, Skyler, interesting to see what further precedent this sets. Thank you so much. Good to talk to you, albeit under really awful circumstances. We appreciate it.