Plea Entered for 14-Year-Old in Mass Shooting Case
A 14-year-old boy, Colt Gray, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges related to a deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. Gray’s lawyer entered the plea on Tuesday, following his indictment on Thursday, which includes 55 charges related to the tragic event.
Gray’s legal team waived the arraignment hearing initially scheduled for November 21, a common practice in Georgia court proceedings.
Indictment on Multiple Charges
Colt Gray was indicted as an adult on multiple charges, including four counts of murder, 25 counts of aggravated assault, and numerous other related charges. The shooting, which occurred on September 4, resulted in the deaths of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Additionally, another teacher and eight students were injured, seven of whom were struck by gunfire.
Colt’s father, Colin Gray, was also indicted on 29 counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and several counts of cruelty to children. Colin Gray has yet to enter a plea and remains scheduled for his arraignment later this month.
Investigation Details and Parental Responsibility
Investigators have revealed troubling details about the planning behind the shooting, which they allege Colt Gray meticulously organized. Armed with a semiautomatic rifle disguised in a book bag, he reportedly exited his second-period class and opened fire in a classroom and surrounding hallways. Authorities have disclosed that Colt had drawn diagrams and kept notes on potential body counts in a notebook, showing careful preparation for the attack.
Colt’s father, Colin Gray, is believed to have failed to secure his firearms and restrict his son’s access to them, despite warnings from Colt’s mother, Marcee Gray. The shooting occurred while the family and school officials were discussing the possibility of counseling or inpatient psychiatric treatment for Colt.
The indictment of Colin Gray marks one of the rare instances where a parent is being held legally responsible for their child’s actions in a school shooting, following a similar case in Michigan where Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted after their son killed four students in 2021.
Background on the Shooter’s Behavior
Prior to the shooting, investigators discovered that Colt Gray had built a “shrine” to previous school shooters, including a photo of Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland shooting. Colt’s behavior, coupled with a history of instability in his home life, raised red flags that led his family and school officials to explore mental health interventions.
Colt is currently being held in a juvenile detention center in Gainesville, while his father remains in custody at the Barrow County jail. Neither has sought bail, and both remain under legal scrutiny as the community reels from the devastating impact of the attack.
