Colt Gray Pleads Guilty to Apalachee High School Shooting Charges
Colt Gray, a teenager accused of committing a 2024 shooting at Georgia’s Apalachee High School, has pled guilty to all 55 charges. This includes killing four students and injuring nine others. Gray entered a non-negotiated plea in court on Friday morning, meaning he admitted his guilt without any pre-arranged deal with the prosecution.
Gray, who faced charges as an adult, was charged with 55 counts. These included malice murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. The charges could potentially result in a prison sentence of up to 30 years for the second-degree murder charges and as much as 180 years total.
The plea comes after Judge Nicholas Primm set a deadline for a possible agreement, which prompted negotiations by Gray’s attorneys. These efforts may extend beyond the current week if necessary.
Earlier in June, Judge Primm decided to relocate Gray’s trial to Columbia County due to concerns about finding unbiased jurors in Barrow County, where the shooting occurred.
Father and Son Facing Charges
Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, faced charges himself, having been convicted on 27 counts in March. These included second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Colin Gray was the first parent charged in connection with a school shooting in Georgia, marking the third time a parent was charged in connection to a mass shooting by their child.
Prosecutors alleged that Colin Gray gave his son the gun used in the shooting as a Christmas gift. He allowed his son access to ammunition despite warning signs of the teen’s deteriorating mental state. Notably, the prosecution highlighted Colt Gray’s obsession with school shooters, including a shrine dedicated to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida from 2018.
Colin Gray admitted to providing the rifle but claimed he wished to bond with his son through hunting and visiting the gun range. His sentencing is scheduled for July 30.
The shooting occurred on Sept. 4, 2024. Investigators reported that then-14-year-old Colt Gray carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle onto the school bus, hidden in his book bag and wrapped in a poster board. He left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom armed with the rifle, shooting into a classroom and hallways.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents have testified to finding notebooks in which Colt Gray detailed plans for the shooting, including a note to “shoot the teacher first.” He ultimately surrendered to school resource officers on the scene and has remained in custody since the incident.
The victims included students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie. Another teacher and eight students were injured in the attack.
This report was contributed to by Jared Eggleston and Cara Tabachnick.