14-Year-Old and Father Charged in Apalachee High School Shooting that Left Four Dead

Murder In The Morning | Daily True Crime News

A 14-year-old student and his father appeared in a Barrow County courtroom Friday, facing serious charges in connection with a school shooting that left two students and two teachers dead at Apalachee High School earlier this week. The small community continues to mourn as details emerge about the tragic events.
Colt Gray, the teenage suspect, was arraigned on four counts of felony murder in the deadly shooting. He stood shackled before Judge Currie Mingledorff, his long hair partially concealing his face during the proceeding. The judge informed Gray that while the initial charges carried the possibility of the death penalty, the maximum sentence he could face due to his age is life in prison, with or without parole.
Prosecutors allege Gray used an AR-style rifle in the Wednesday morning attack, which claimed the lives of two 14-year-old students, Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, along with two teachers, math instructor Cristina Irimie, 53, and assistant football coach Richard Aspinwall, 39, who also taught math. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), nine others were injured in the attack, with seven suffering gunshot wounds. All of the injured are expected to make a full recovery.
Gray did not enter a plea, and his legal counsel did not request bond during the hearing.
Just minutes after Colt Gray was escorted out of the courtroom, his father, Colin Gray, 54, appeared for his own arraignment. Shackled in a white and grey jumpsuit, Colin Gray was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
His charges stem from allegations that he provided the firearm used in the shooting to his son, despite being aware of the potential danger his son posed. An arrest warrant issued for Colin Gray claims he gave his son the rifle "with knowledge he was a threat to himself and others."
Colin Gray, visibly emotional during the proceedings, spoke softly as he addressed the court. Like his son, he did not request bond and is being held in custody. If convicted on all counts, Colin Gray faces a maximum sentence of 180 years in prison.
As the courtroom filled with family members of the victims, the pain was palpable. Some wiped away tears, while one woman clutched a doll of Disney character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a poignant reminder of the young lives lost. District Attorney Brad Smith, speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, confirmed that additional charges against Colt Gray are likely as more information becomes available about the victims’ injuries.
"When evidence comes in, and they've had a chance to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we will get with them, and there will be additional charges that address the other victims," Smith said.
The shooting has left the tight-knit community of Winder, Georgia, in shock. Apalachee High School is now the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in recent U.S. history, the 45th such incident this year and the worst since the Covenant School shooting in Nashville in March 2023.
**History of Warnings**
Law enforcement had previously investigated the Gray family in May 2023 after receiving reports of online threats linked to Colt Gray, who was accused of posting photos of firearms and threatening a school shooting. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the investigation was closed after authorities were unable to substantiate the claims.
Colt Gray, who is currently being held at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, is expected to be tried as an adult under Georgia law, which mandates that juveniles between the ages of 13 and 17 charged with serious crimes be prosecuted in adult court.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to comb through evidence and pursue leads, including a phone threat received by Apalachee High School just before the shooting began. According to authorities, the caller warned of shootings at five different schools, although no evidence has been found to substantiate those claims.

**Gun Purchased as Holiday Gift**
Two law enforcement sources close to the investigation revealed that Colin Gray admitted to buying the AR-style rifle for his son as a holiday present in December 2023. This purchase came months after the initial investigation into the school shooting threat.
As the Gray family faces the consequences of their actions, the community is left grappling with the devastating loss of four beloved individuals—two students and two educators.
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