BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — The teenager charged in the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School is expected to appear in court Friday for a plea and sentencing hearing in a case that deeply affected Northeast Georgia.
16-year-old Colt Gray is accused of killing four people and wounding several others during the September 4, 2024, shooting at the Barrow County high school. He previously pleaded not guilty to murder and dozens of other charges.
Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm has scheduled a non-negotiated plea and sentencing hearing for July 24. Gray’s trial had been set to begin in October in Columbia County after a judge granted the defense’s request to move the trial out of Barrow County.
A non-negotiated plea means prosecutors and the defense have not reached an agreement on a sentence. If Gray pleads guilty, the judge will determine the sentence after hearing evidence and recommendations from both sides.
According to court filings, prosecutors plan to present testimony from victims and witnesses, along with surveillance video, crime scene photographs, 911 recordings and other evidence. The defense is expected to call a psychologist, a staff member from the juvenile detention center where Gray has been held and his grandmother.
Gray was 14 years old at the time of the shooting but is being prosecuted as an adult. He faces 55 charges, including four counts of murder and 25 counts of aggravated assault.
The shooting claimed the lives of teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, along with 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Another teacher and eight students were injured, seven of them by gunfire.
Investigators testified that Gray brought the rifle onto a school bus with the barrel concealed inside a rolled poster board. They said he later retrieved the weapon from a bathroom before opening fire in a classroom and hallway.
During earlier court proceedings, investigators said Gray had planned the attack in advance. Testimony indicated he left behind a notebook containing detailed plans for the shooting, including estimates of how many people he believed he could kill or injure.
The case also led to unprecedented criminal charges against Gray’s father, Colin Gray, who prosecutors said provided his son with the assault-style rifle used in the attack.
In March, a jury convicted Colin Gray of charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors argued he ignored repeated warning signs about his son’s deteriorating mental health and gave him access to firearms despite those concerns. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
The Apalachee High School shooting sent shockwaves across Northeast Georgia, prompting renewed discussions about school safety, mental health and parental responsibility. The case has drawn national attention because of the prosecution of both the accused shooter and his father.
AP’s Kate Brumback contributed to this report
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