Georgia teen charged in Apalachee High School shooting to appear in court for plea and sentencing

By — Kate Brumback, Associated Press Kate Brumback, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-teen-charged-in-apalachee-high-school-shooting-to-appear-in-court-for-plea-and-sentencing Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Georgia teen charged in Apalachee High School shooting to appear in court for plea and sentencing Nation Jul 12, 2026 11:58 AM EDT ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has set a plea and sentencing hearing later this month for a teenager accused of killing four people in a September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded not guilty to charges including murder in the shooting that killed two students and two teachers, and left several others wounded, at the high school northeast of Atlanta. READ MORE: Georgia high school shooting suspect's father convicted of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter In a court filing Friday, the judge overseeing his case set a "Non-Negotiated Plea and Sentencing Hearing" to begin July 24. The judge had previously said that if Gray wanted to plead guilty ahead of trial, he must notify the state and court by this coming Wednesday. A non-negotiated plea means that the state and the defense have not reached an agreement on a sentence. Unlike a negotiated plea, or plea deal, where a defendant reaches an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for an agreed upon sentence and possibly reduced charges, this leaves sentencing entirely up to the judge who makes a decision after giving each side a chance to present a summary of the case and a sentencing recommendation. Colt Gray's attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Sunday. Gray's trial had been set to begin in mid-October in Columbia County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Barrow County where the shooting happened, after the judge agreed to a defense request to change the venue. Gray's father, Colin Gray, was convicted by a jury in March on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors said he gave his teenage son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school. The elder Gray is set to be sentenced later this month. The Sept. 4, 2024, shooting killed teachers Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire. Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, was charged as an adult with 55 total counts, including murder, cruelty to children and 25 counts of aggravated assault. WATCH: Why a warning from the suspect's mother wasn't enough to stop the Georgia school shooting Investigators testified that Colt Gray carried the rifle given to him by his father onto the school bus with the barrel wrapped in a poster board. They said the teenager left his second-period class and emerged f