Teen to Plead Guilty in US School Shooting With Christmas Rifle

A teenager is set to accept responsibility for a devastating school shooting that occurred in Georgia in 2024. Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the incident, will plead guilty to multiple charges, including four counts of murder, thereby avoiding a trial. The plea is scheduled to be formalized in court on July 24.

The shooting took place at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where Gray allegedly opened fire, resulting in the deaths of two teachers and two students. The tragedy unfolded just months after the teen had been investigated for allegedly making online threats of a school shooting. This plea agreement averts a trial that was slated for October.

Further complicating the case, the shooter's father, Colin Gray, was convicted in March on charges including second-degree murder. Prosecutors argued that the father disregarded warning signs that his son, who was reportedly obsessed with school shooters, might commit such an act. Instead, he gifted his son an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and ammunition for Christmas in 2023, along with an extended magazine and a tactical vest, according to the investigation. The father is also expected to be sentenced later this month.