Parole denied for Georgia teen convicted in Apalachee student killings
A Georgia teen who killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School will spend the rest of his life in prison.
On Tuesday, a judge sentenced 16-year-old Colt Gray to life without parole for the September 2024 school shooting that also wounded nine others. Gray showed little reaction as he stood to be handcuffed after the judge handed down the sentence.
“Four lives were stolen, two of them really just beginning, and it wasn’t done out of fear or anger. You weren’t being bullied at Apalachee. It wasn’t done out of hatred. You didn’t even know anyone at that school. It was done for the infamy of it,” Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm said. “Your crimes do reflect permanent incorrigibility, and I will sentence you to life without parole for each of the malice murders that you committed.”
Prosecutors argued Gray planned the attack for more than a year and carried it out in search of fame, citing his writings, online posts and jailhouse phone calls. Defense attorneys asked for the possibility of parole, pointing to his age, troubled upbringing and mental health struggles.
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Pictured: Colt Gray (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool) -
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, takes the stand during his trial on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Pool) -
Colt Gray, the 16-year-old convicted in the Apalachee High School shooting, stands to be handcuffed following his sentencing at Barrow County Superior Court in Winder, Ga., on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) -
Pictured: Colt Gray (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
The shooting and charges
Gray was a 14-year-old freshman when he brought a semiautomatic AR-style rifle to school in his book bag. During the school’s second period, he emerged from a restroom with the rifle and opened fire in a hallway and a classroom.
Students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Ana-Cristina Irimie died in the attack.
He pleaded guilty to 55 counts last week, including four counts of murder.
Although he was charged as an adult, Gray has been held at a juvenile detention center since 2024. No motive was ever established for the shooting.
The attack at Apalachee High School was the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history. Students return to campus for the new school year on Friday.
Colt’s father to be sentenced
Gray was not the only one punished in the shooting. His father, Colin, was convicted in March on 27 counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children.
He is set to be sentenced Thursday.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
