Teen Pleads Guilty in Georgia School Shooting Case

Updated on: July 24, 2026 / 9:40 AM EDT / CBS Atlanta

Colt Gray, a teenager accused of killing four students and injuring nine others during the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, pleaded guilty to all 55 charges against him on Friday. Gray entered a “non-negotiated” plea, admitting guilt without a pre-arranged deal between his defense team and prosecutors.

Gray, charged as an adult, faces 55 counts, including malice murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. The charges carry a potential sentence of up to 30 years for second-degree murder and up to 180 years in total.

The plea hearing occurred months after Gray’s attorneys indicated their intentions to negotiate a plea deal. Judge Nicholas Primm had set this week as the deadline for a potential plea. The hearing could extend into the following week if needed.

Due to extensive media coverage, Judge Primm moved Gray’s trial to Columbia County, deeming it challenging to find impartial jurors in Barrow County, where the incident transpired.

A Father and Son Face Charges

Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was convicted on 27 counts in March, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children. This marked the first instance in Georgia where a parent was charged in connection with their child’s mass school shooting.

Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray provided his son with the gun used in the shooting as a Christmas gift. Despite apparent warning signs of the teen’s deteriorating mental state, he allowed Colt access to the weapon and ammunition. The prosecution presented evidence indicating Colt’s fixation on school shootings, highlighting a shrine he built to honor Nikolas Cruz, convicted of the 2018 Florida school shooting.

Colin Gray admitted to giving Colt the rifle, expressing intentions to bond over hunting and shooting range activities. His sentencing is scheduled for July 30.

The Day of the Shooting

On September 4, 2024, authorities assert that then-14-year-old Colt carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle onto the school bus, concealing the barrel in his book bag wrapped in a poster board. He exited his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom to open fire on a classroom and hallways.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents have testified in court about finding Colt’s written plans, which included instructions to “shoot the teacher first.”

The shooting claimed the lives of four individuals: 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie. An additional teacher and eight students sustained injuries.

Colt Gray surrendered to school resource officers at the location. He has been in custody since the incident.

Jared Eggleston and Cara Tabachnick contributed to this report.