Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday in Barrow County Superior Court to all 55 counts against him, including murder, for the September 4, 2024, mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which killed two teachers and two students.
Guilty Plea Without a Deal on 55 Counts
Standing in a courtroom with his feet chained together next to his attorney, Gray entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to all 55 charges on Friday, July 24, 2026. The charges stem from the deadly shooting nearly two years ago that left teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, alongside 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, dead. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded in the attack, with seven of them hit by gunfire. The high school is located about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray was 14 at the time of the shooting, and he was charged as an adult with the 55 total counts, including murder in the four deaths and 25 counts of aggravated assault. His trial had been scheduled to start in mid-October in Columbia County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from where the shooting happened, after the judge agreed to a defense request for a change of venue.
Before accepting the plea, Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm asked Gray a series of questions meant to ensure that the teenager was aware of the consequences of his plea and was entering it voluntarily. To each question, Gray responded, Yes, your honor.
Gray told Judge Nicholas Primm that he understood the consequences of his plea, including forfeiting his rights to a jury trial or appeal and the possibility of a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He also told the judge he suffered from mental health issues for which he was taking medication. Because he pleaded guilty to murder, Gray faces a minimum sentence of life in prison. The judge must decide whether he should be eligible for parole after hearing victim statements, evidence and each side’s summary of the case. The judge said the minimum sentence is life with parole and the maximum is a life sentence without parole. Members of the community, including some victims and family members, were present in the courtroom.
Families and Survivors Demand Life Without Parole
During emotional testimony, family members of the victims and surviving students urged the court to deny Gray any chance at freedom. Breanna Schermerhorn, whose son Mason was killed, told the judge that while adults missed warning signs, the shooter alone made the decision to pull the trigger. Breanna Schermerhorn said in a victim impact statement Friday, Mason was so much more than a victim.
She stated, Mason was kind, compassionate, funny and fiercely protective of others,
adding, As a child with exceptional needs, he understood what it felt like to struggle and be overlooked by others. Instead of becoming bitter, he became an advocate.
She also said, He made people that were typically unseen feel seen, accepted and safe,
and noted, I had no doubt in my mind if Colt had actually attended school as he should have, that Mason would have befriended him.
Breanna Schermerhorn said Gray knew that pulling that trigger was wrong, he knew that every choice he made that day would forever alter countless lives.
One of Mason Schermerhorn’s sisters, Alanna Schermerhorn Wallace, said through tears that she lost the life she knew and her sense of safety on the day her brother was killed, noting she’s always scanning for exits and monitoring the people around her and is triggered by loud noises and unexpected sounds. Another sister, Lilianah Ahmed, also spoke in court. Victims’ families said they hoped the judge would hand down a life sentence without parole.
Shayna Aspinwall spoke about the loss of her husband, teacher Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39. The future we planned together no longer exists,
she said. Now, our daughters who were five and two at the time must grow up without their father… I ask that Ricky's killer is not given an opportunity for parole.
Ismael Angulo, brother to Christian Angulo, told the court the shooting shattered thousands of lives in a single instant
. He added, While the law spares him from the ultimate penalty due to his age, it does not require this court to ever grant him freedom again.
The court also heard from several of the teenage survivors, who read out statements recounting the impacts on their lives. After the shooting, I struggled with so much anxiety, and I felt that my life was completely over,
Taylor Jones, who was shot and injured, said. I couldn't do anything a normal 14-year-old should be able to do.
The shooting shocked the state and renewed discussions about gun violence in US schools.
Next Legal Steps for the Gray Family
A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, and he is scheduled to be sentenced next week. Prosecutors said the elder Gray gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school. Prosecutors had argued the father was the one person who could have prevented
the shooting and that he knew his son was a bomb just waiting to go off
when he gave him the gun.
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