BARROW COUNTY, GA — Nearly two years after the shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County that left four people dead and five others injured, the teen accused in the attack has pleaded guilty on all 55 counts in court on Friday morning.
Colt Gray previously pleaded not guilty in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting. Prosecutors say Gray shot nine people, killing students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn and teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie.
His plea hearing comes after a judge had scheduled his trial to begin in October.
In court, Alanna Wallace, the sister of Mason Schermerhorn, said she found out two minutes before the bell rang that Mason’ didn’t make it when she opened social media to pass the time waiting for dismissal.
“I feel compassion for Colt and I hate that,” Liliana Ahmed, Mason’s older sister said. “He is a product of two people that did not deserve the privilege of bringing life into this world. His actions are a testament to that. He is broken.”
Gray faces more than 50 charges, including murder, aggravated assault and child cruelty.
Former DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said a murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence under Georgia law, though additional convictions could add to Gray’s sentence.
“The judge has to balance the possibility of redemption with the need for punishment in this case, and it’s a tough job,” James said. “I wouldn’t want the judge’s job, but it’s what they get elected to do.”
Friday’s hearing comes months after Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was convicted on all counts, including second-degree murder, for providing the firearm prosecutors say was used in the shooting despite warning signs his son posed a danger to others.
James said Gray’s age at the time of the shooting could become a significant factor during sentencing. Gray was 14 years old when the attack occurred, and James noted research shows impulse control is not fully developed until a person’s mid-20s.
“Unless the psychological records say this person is never going to essentially recover and be right minded again, there is an argument that should be made that he shouldn’t suffer at 60 for something he did when he was 16,” James said.
James also said a plea of guilty but mentally ill can be an effective legal strategy if supported by medical evidence.
“Once a judge accepts that the defendant is mentally ill, your argument therefore should be accepted that he should be treated better because of mental illness because mental illness is in fact mitigating,” James said.
Colt Gray faces a sentence of life with or without parole.
