‘Shooter’ Colt Gray makes first court appearance & dodges death penalty after 4 killed & 9 hurt in Apalachee massacre
THE teen accused of killing four and injuring nine more in the shooting at Apalachee High School faces life in prison, a judge told him in his first court appearance.
Colt Gray, 14, appeared in court on Friday for four counts of felony murder after allegedly unleashing a deadly rampage on the Georgia high school, located about an hour outside of Atlanta, on Wednesday.
Gray, who will be tried as an adult, appeared before Judge Currie Mingledorff in a quick bond hearing in the Barrow County Courthouse.
The suspect, wearing a green prison uniform, stayed quiet and withdrawn during the appearance. His attorney submitted no request for bond.
At first, the judge told the teen that he could face the death penalty or life in prison if he’s convicted on any of the four counts against him.
The judge later clarified that the death penalty is not a possibility as Gray is under the age of 18.
The families of the victims sat in the first row of the courtroom, according to CNN.
What we know so far…
- Four people are dead, and nine others were injured, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations confirmed.
- Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were identified as those killed.
- 14-year-old student Colt Gray was named as the suspected shooter.
- Gray and his dad were interviewed by the FBI a year before after authorities received online threats of a possible school shooting.
- A classmate said Gray was blocked from entering a classroom by a student who spotted his gun.
- Students gathered on the football field after the attack.
- President Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed.
- Devastating texts revealed student’s fear.
Two teachers and two students were killed in the gunfire.
Officials identified the victims as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
Nine more victims were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
DAD IN COURT
A day after the tragedy, the suspect’s dad, Colin Gray, was hit with charges after it was revealed that he bought Colt an AR-15 style gun for Christmas.
“These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son Colt to possess a weapon,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said at a news conference on Thursday.
Colin, 54, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
After Colt appeared before the judge at 8:30 am on Friday, his dad was arraigned in the same Barrow County Courthouse room less than an hour later.
The dad was seen rocking back and forth as he appeared to cry during the hearing.
Judge Mingledorff told Colin that if he’s convicted on all counts, he could face up to 180 years in prison.
‘TROUBLED LIFE’ AND DISCORD THREATS
Colt surrendered immediately when cops at the school confronted him.
Police said at a press conference that the teen was cooperating and speaking with investigators while he was held at Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.
Timeline of Apalachee High School shooting
Below is a timeline of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4:
8:30 am – First period begins at AHS
9:45 am – Suspect Colt Gray leaves algebra class, according to his classmate
10:20 am – Police start to receive calls about an active shooter
10:23 am – Law enforcement officers are dispatched to school and arrive in minutes
10:45 am – AHS sends message to parents saying the school is in a hard lockdown
11:20 am – Students are evacuated to the football field
11:56 am – Barrow County Sheriff’s Office reports a suspect is in custody
2:13 pm – Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirms four people were killed and nine were hospitalized with injuries
The devastating shooting happened over a year after the FBI was first made aware of the father and son after violent threats made on Discord were traced back to the duo.
In May 2023, FBI responded to a report that someone had threatened to shoot up a school on an online gaming platform.
When investigators interviewed Colt, who was 13 at the time, he insisted that he had been hacked on Discord and denied the threats.
Family members told The New York Times that the teen had a “troubled life.”
“My grandson did what he did because of the environment that he lived in,” Colt’s grandfather, Charles Polhamus said.
“The adults in his life let him down,” his aunt, Annie Brown, added.
Brown said her nephew was “actively seeking help” for his mental health, but didn’t find the support he needed from those around him.