15-Year-Old Accused in Apalachee High School Shooting Pleads Not Guilty
( Image: Barrow County Sheriff’s Office/A)
The 15-year-old accused of carrying out the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in September has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Colt Gray’s attorney filed the plea on Tuesday, shortly after he was indicted on 55 counts, including murder. His legal team also waived an arraignment hearing that was scheduled for November 21.
Gray faces serious charges, including four counts of murder and 25 counts of aggravated assault related to the high school shooting. His father, Colin Gray, has also been indicted on 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter for his alleged involvement in the tragedy. Colin Gray has not yet entered a plea, but his arraignment is still scheduled for November 21, told WNKY.
Colt Gray is currently being held at a juvenile detention center in Gainesville, while his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, remains in the Barrow County jail. Neither has requested release on bail, and their attorneys have so far declined to provide public comments on the case.
The shooting, which occurred on September 4, claimed the lives of two teachers, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. In addition to the fatalities, another teacher and eight students were injured, with seven of them suffering gunshot wounds.
Investigators have described Colt Gray’s home life as unstable. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, his mother, Marcee Gray, had reportedly asked Colt’s father to secure his firearms and prevent their son from accessing them. Marcee and Colin Gray lived separately at the time.
At a news conference in September, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey explained that Colin Gray’s charges stem from his failure to prevent his son from accessing the weapon used in the shooting. “These charges are directly connected to the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon,” Hosey stated.
As the legal proceedings move forward, both Colt and Colin Gray face significant charges related to the devastating attack at Apalachee High School.
