A 16-year-old pleaded guilty Friday to all 55 counts in a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia that occurred nearly two years ago. Colt Gray entered the plea without a deal with prosecutors, leaving sentencing entirely to Judge Nicholas Primm.
Gray had previously pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that killed two students and two teachers and wounded several others. The attack took place at the high school located about 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. His trial had been scheduled to begin in mid-October in Columbia County following a defense request for a venue change.
Prosecutors stated that Gray's father, Colin Gray, provided him with the assault-style rifle used in the shooting. The elder Gray was convicted in March on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and is awaiting sentencing.
The victims of the shooting 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 injured, seven by gunfire.
Gray, who was 14 at the time of the incident, was charged as an adult with 55 counts, including murder for the four fatalities and 25 counts of aggravated assault. Investigators testified that the teenager carried the rifle onto a school bus, wrapped in a poster board, and later emerged from a bathroom during second period to carry out the assault in a classroom and hallway.
Evidence presented by investigators suggested the shooting was carefully planned. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified that the teen left a notebook in his classroom containing step-by-step instructions and a diagram for the assault, estimating he could kill up to 26 people and wound as many as 13.
Investigators also found a shrine in Colt Gray's bedroom dedicated to Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the 2018 massacre at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Court filings from the father's trial indicated he was aware of his son's deteriorating mental health and had sought counseling services weeks before the shooting due to anger, anxiety, and volatility, but never followed through on the help. Gray's mother had reportedly urged her husband to secure their guns and restrict their son's access to them, but Colin Gray instead purchased ammunition and shooting accessories for his son over time.
During Friday's hearing, the judge is expected to hear summaries of the case, evidence, and sentencing recommendations from both the prosecution and defense before determining Gray's sentence. Prosecutors indicated their intent to present testimony from teenage victims and witnesses, along with surveillance video and crime scene photos, as well as 911 calls and Colt Gray's school, medical, and social media records. The defense planned to call a psychologist, a juvenile detention center counselor, and Gray's grandmother to testify.