Apalachee High School shooting suspect set to change plea, documents show

Colt Gray, the teenager accused of a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia in 2024, is set to change his plea later this month. Court documents filed Friday indicate Gray will appear in Barrow County Superior Court on July 24 for a plea and sentencing hearing.

Gray, who was 14 when the shooting occurred, has been held in a juvenile detention center since his arrest. He faces a total of 55 charges, including malice murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. Previously, he had pleaded not guilty to the charges as an adult. He faces potential sentences of up to 30 years for second-degree murder charges and a possible 180 years in total.

Attorneys for Gray had signaled in late 2025 that plea deal negotiations were underway. The judge subsequently set a deadline for these discussions. The case has also seen his father, Colin Gray, convicted in March of second-degree murder and other charges. This marks the third time a parent has faced charges related to a mass shooting allegedly committed by their child, with prosecutors citing multiple instances of the father ignoring his son's violent behavior over the years. Colin Gray admitted to providing the rifle used in the shooting, stating his intent was for bonding during hunting and at the shooting range.