16-Year-Old Pleads Guilty in Apalachee High School Shooting

Barrow County, Ga. – A teenager accused of the February 2024 Apalachee High School shooting entered a courtroom on Friday morning and changed his plea to guilty. Colt Gray, 16, stood beside his attorney, Charlton Allen, and told Judge Nicholas Primm that he was making the decision of his own free will. The judge confirmed the plea and adjourned the hearing until Monday at 4:30 p.m. for sentencing.

During the hearing, Judge Primm informed Gray that the minimum sentence he faces is life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, while the maximum penalty is life without parole. The courtroom was filled with family members of the four victims – teachers Ricky Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo – who expressed relief at the guilty plea.

Gray, who was 14 at the time of the attack, was indicted on 55 counts by a Barrow County grand jury in October 2024. The charges include counts related to the four deaths, three students who survived gunshot injuries, two adult staff members wounded, and numerous other children present in the classroom and hallway during the incident.

Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith outlined the charges, noting that counts one through twelve pertain to the four fatalities, while subsequent counts address the injuries to students, staff, and other children. Prosecutors described the plea as non-negotiated, meaning the state will present its sentencing recommendation before the defense argues for a different term.

Family members of the victims addressed the court, describing their ongoing grief. "I hope that one day he truly understands the weight of what he chose to do," said Breonna Schermerhorn, mother of Mason Schermerhorn.

The sentencing phase will determine whether Gray receives life with parole eligibility or life without parole.