In the weeks following the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia, the jailed teenage gunman had frequent phone conversations with his mother about his online notoriety. Prosecutors played clips of these recorded conversations during the sentencing hearing for Colt Gray, 16, who pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder.
Murder carries a minimum sentence of life in prison in Georgia. Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm is presiding over the sentencing hearing, which began Friday and entered its third day Tuesday. The judge will decide whether Gray should have the possibility of parole after hearing testimony and evidence from both the defense and prosecution.
The victims of the shooting, which occurred about 45 miles northeast of Atlanta, were teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight students were wounded, seven by gunfire.
Ashley Gilleland, an investigator with the district attorney's office, testified that Gray idolized other mass shooters and discussed them online with members of the "true crime community." Gray reportedly chatted with others online about gaining notoriety through a school shooting and expressed admiration for previous mass shooters. Gilleland stated that aspects of Gray's preparation and behavior before and after the Apalachee High School shooting mimicked those of other mass shooters.
During recorded phone calls from a youth detention center, Gray frequently asked his mother, Marcee Gray, to check what people were saying about him online. When she described online commentary and "fan art" depicting him, he inquired about the engagement levels of the posts and appeared enthusiastic when they received significant attention. At one point, Colt Gray asked his mother if she had "made the shrine" to him, to which she responded she would create a shrine once she obtained photos.
Marcee Gray also told her son about a journalist who had requested to make a documentary about the case about a month after the shooting. Colt Gray encouraged her to proceed with the request. He also repeatedly asked his mother to relay messages to his online community.
In February 2025, the district attorney's office revealed awareness of the calls between mother and son. Marcee Gray maintained that they had not discussed inappropriate topics but acknowledged being accused of encouraging her son.
During interviews with investigators the day of the shooting, Colt Gray claimed he heard people telling him to commit the acts, experienced uncontrollable urges, and acted spontaneously. He denied seeking attention, calling such behavior from mass shooters "childlike." However, Gilleland testified that Gray's online conversations, a detailed notebook outlining his plan for the shooting, and his discussions with his mother contradicted these claims, indicating careful planning and an intent to survive the attack.
Candice Broce, director of the state Division of Family & Children Services, testified that Colt Gray had experienced abuse and neglect, and her agency had investigated the family several years prior to the shooting. Broce noted that Gray was unable to recall ever seeing a doctor, expressing surprise at the "complete absence of care."
Broce stated that Gray appeared to improve after being placed in foster care, starting medication, and after his mother was barred from contact by a July 2025 no-contact order. Staff at the youth detention center reported that these changes "changed him essentially into a different child."
Colt Gray's father, Colin Gray, was convicted in March on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors alleged he provided his son with the assault-style rifle used in the shooting. Colin Gray is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.