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 entered the plea Tuesday, shortly after he was indicted on 55 counts, including murder. His legal team also waived an arraignment hearing scheduled for Nov. 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 charged with 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter for his alleged role in the tragedy. Colin Gray has not yet entered a plea, but his arraignment is still scheduled for Nov. 21, he said. WNKY.
Colt Gray is currently being held at a juvenile detention center in Gainesville, while his father, Colin Gray, 54, remains at the Barrow County Jail. Neither man has applied for bail and his lawyers have so far declined to comment publicly 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 years old. In addition to the fatalities, another teacher and eight students were injured, seven of them with gunshot wounds.
Investigators have described Colt Gray’s family 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 her son from accessing them. Marcee and Colin Gray were living separately at the time.
At a press 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 gun used in the shooting. “These charges are directly related to your son’s actions and allow him to possess a gun,” Hosey said.
As the legal process continues, both Colt and Colin Gray face significant charges related to the devastating attack at Apalachee High School.