Georgia teen charged in school shooting to face plea and sentencing hearing

A judge has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for July 24 for a 16-year-old Georgia boy accused of a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in September 2024. Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the incident, faces charges including murder for the attack that claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, and wounded several others.

Gray had previously entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. The upcoming hearing is designated as a "Non-Negotiated Plea and Sentencing Hearing." This means that the prosecution and the defense have not reached an agreement on a sentence. Consequently, the decision on sentencing will rest entirely with the judge, who will consider recommendations from both sides after they present their case summaries.

The trial had been slated for mid-October in Columbia County, but the venue was changed from Barrow County, where the shooting occurred. In a separate but related development, Colt Gray's father, Colin Gray, was convicted in March of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for providing his son with the assault-style rifle used in the shooting. Colin Gray is also awaiting sentencing later this month.