Teenager’s Upcoming Hearing in High School Shooting Case

ATLANTA — A hearing for a teenager accused of a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia has been set for later this month. The incident, which occurred in September 2024, resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including two students and two teachers.

Colt Gray, who is 16 years old, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including murder, stemming from the tragic shooting that also injured several others at the school located northeast of Atlanta.

In a court filing made on Friday, the presiding judge announced a “non-negotiated argument and sentencing hearing” to take place on July 24. The judge has previously indicated that Gray must inform the court by this Wednesday if he intends to change his plea to guilty before the trial begins.

A non-negotiated plea signifies that there has been no agreement reached between the state and defense regarding sentencing. Unlike situations where a plea bargain is negotiated, in this case, the judge alone will determine the sentence after hearing summaries and recommendations from both parties.

Gray’s attorney has not responded to requests for comments as of Sunday.

His trial is set to start in mid-October in Columbia County, which is roughly 100 miles away from Barrow County, where the shooting took place. This change of venue came at the request of the defense.

Interestingly, Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was found guilty in March of charges that included second-degree murder and manslaughter, as he was implicated in providing his son with the assault-style rifle that was used in the school shooting. Colin Gray is scheduled for sentencing later this month.

The shooting on September 4, 2024, sadly claimed the lives of teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimy, 53, along with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both aged 14.

In addition to those fatalities, another teacher and eight students were injured, seven of whom sustained gunshot wounds. Colt Gray, who was just 14 when the shooting occurred, faces 55 charges as an adult, including murder, child abuse, and 25 counts of aggravated assault.

Investigators revealed that Colt Gray had concealed the rifle, a gift from his father, by wrapping it in poster board and carried it onto a school bus. Reports indicate that he emerged from a bathroom during his second period with the weapon and began firing in classrooms and hallways.

It’s been indicated that the assailant had meticulously planned the attack on the 1,900-student school. Testimony from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation suggested that he left a notebook behind with detailed instructions and diagrams for the assault, estimating a potential casualty count of up to 26 people.

Both Colt and Colin Gray were interrogated by sheriff’s deputies back in May 2023 concerning online threats linked to Colt. The teenager denied making any threats at that time. He had skipped eighth grade, began his freshman year at Apalachee High School, and had missed several school days early on.

The Gray family reportedly sought psychological assistance prior to the shooting, yet it appears that Colt never attended any counseling sessions. Marcy Gray, Colt’s mother, who was separated from Colin, stated to investigators that they had argued weeks before the incident about gun access, but ultimately, Colin continued to procure shooting accessories for Colt.

Prosecutors claim Colt even constructed a shrine in his bedroom dedicated to Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland school shooting.