A plea and sentencing hearing has been set for later this month for a teenager accused of fatally shooting four people at Apalachee High School in Georgia in September 2024. Colt Gray, 16, is charged with murder and other offenses in the shooting that killed two students and two teachers and wounded several others.
The hearing is scheduled for July 24, according to a court filing Friday. Gray had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. A non-negotiated plea means that the prosecution and defense have not reached an agreement on a sentence, leaving the decision to the judge.
Gray's trial had been slated to begin in mid-October in Columbia County, about 100 miles from Barrow County, where the incident occurred. The judge had granted a defense request to change the venue.
In March, Gray's father, Colin Gray, was convicted of charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors stated that he provided the assault-style rifle used in the shooting. Colin Gray is also scheduled for sentencing later this month.
The Sept. 4, 2024, shooting claimed the lives of teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Seven other students and one teacher were wounded by gunfire.
Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, faces 55 counts as an adult, including murder, cruelty to children, and 25 counts of aggravated assault.
Investigators testified that Colt Gray brought the rifle, a gift from his father, to school wrapped in a poster board. According to investigators, he left a second-period class, emerged from a bathroom with the rifle, and began shooting individuals in a classroom and hallway.
Evidence presented by investigators indicated that the shooting was carefully planned. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified that Gray left a notebook in his classroom containing step-by-step instructions and a diagram for the assault, with an estimated capability of killing up to 26 people and wounding up to 13 others.
Colt and Colin Gray were questioned by deputies in May 2023 regarding an online threat linked to Colt Gray, which he denied at the time. Colt Gray had skipped eighth grade and enrolled as a freshman at Apalachee High School after the academic year started. He subsequently missed multiple school days.
Family members had sought psychological assistance for Colt Gray prior to the shooting, but he reportedly never saw a counselor.
Colt's mother, Marcee Gray, who was separated from Colin Gray, informed investigators that she had argued with Colin Gray weeks before the shooting, urging him to secure his firearms and restrict Colt's access. Records show that he later purchased ammunition, a gun sight, and other shooting accessories for the boy.
Prosecutors also stated that Colt Gray had created a shrine in his bedroom dedicated to Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.