Georgia high school shooting suspect Colt Gray changes plea to guilty, now faces life in prison

The 16-year-old charged pinch sidesplitting 2 students and 2 teachers during a 2024 shooting astatine Apalachee High School in Georgia now faces life successful situation aft he entered a blameworthy plea Friday.

Colt Gray, who previously pleaded not blameworthy past October, entered nan caller plea Friday without reaching a woody pinch prosecutors. Gray, who was 14 astatine nan clip of nan shooting, was charged arsenic an big pinch 55 full counts, including execution successful nan 4 deaths and 25 counts of aggravated assault. His proceedings had been scheduled to commencement successful mid-October.

Teachers Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, some 14, died successful nan September 2024 shooting successful Barrow County, astir 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. Another coach and 8 much students were wounded, 7 of them deed by gunfire.

Shayna Aspinwall, Richard Aspinwall's wife, told nan judge connected Friday that nan "grief of losing him is constant" and lamented that nan lives of their daughters, who were 2 and 5 erstwhile their begetter died, will beryllium "forever marked by his absence."

FATHER OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT CONVICTED OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER, INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER

Colt Gray, nan 16-year-old Apalachee High School shooting suspect, is led successful by deputies for a plea proceeding astatine Barrow County Superior Court successful Winder, Ga., connected Friday, July 24, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Breanna Schermerhorn, whose boy Mason was killed, told nan judge she does not forgive Colt Gray. She said that while adults astir him missed aggregate informing signs, he was nan 1 who decided to bring a weapon to schoolhouse and to propulsion nan trigger.

"Those decisions were his and his alone," she said.

She described her boy arsenic personification who "made group that were typically unseen consciousness seen, accepted and safe" and said she was assured he would person befriended Colt Gray if he'd had nan chance.

"Mason deserved a early and we each deserved a early pinch Mason successful it, and Colt took that from Mason and everyone who loved him," she said. She and 2 of Mason's sisters asked nan judge for a condemnation of life without parole.

Before accepting nan plea, Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm asked Gray a bid of questions meant to guarantee that nan teen was alert of nan consequences of his plea and was entering it voluntarily. To each question, Gray responded, "Yes, your honor."

NEW VIDEO SHOWS OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TACKLING GUNMAN WHO OPENED FIRE INSIDE THE SCHOOL

Colt Gray, nan 16-year-old Apalachee High School shooting suspect, stands adjacent to his lawyer Charlton Allen and pleads blameworthy astatine Barrow County Superior Court successful Winder, Ga., connected Friday, July 24, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Because he pleaded blameworthy to murder, Gray faces a minimum condemnation of life successful prison, according to The Associated Press. The judge must determine whether he should beryllium eligible for parole aft proceeding unfortunate statements, grounds and each side's summary of nan case.

Gray sat astatine a array successful nan courtroom pinch his feet chained together adjacent to his attorney. Members of nan community, including immoderate victims and family members, were coming successful nan courtroom.

A assemblage successful March convicted his father, Colin Gray, of charges including second-degree execution and involuntary manslaughter, and he is scheduled to beryllium sentenced adjacent week.

Prosecutors successfully based on that Colin Gray provided his boy pinch nan AR-15-style firearm used successful nan attack arsenic a Christmas gift, continued buying him ammunition, contempt being alert of his intelligence wellness deterioration and anterior schoolhouse shooting threats investigated by rule enforcement.

Colin Gray looks down and to nan broadside arsenic nan blameworthy verdict is publication successful Barrow County Superior Court connected March 3, 2026. Gray was later handcuffed and led from nan courtroom aft being convicted of second-degree execution and involuntary manslaughter. (WAGA)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The prosecution told jurors that contempt those concerns, Gray did not prosecute inpatient curen for his son.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.