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Colin Gray, father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect, set to be sentenced in July

By
Dan Raby
Senior Digital Producer, CBS News Atlanta
Dan Raby, the senior digital producer for CBS News Atlanta, has been covering everything happening around Georgia for more than a decade.
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Dan Raby

/ CBS Atlanta

Colin Gray, the father of the teen accused of killing two students and two teachers in a shooting at Georgia's Apalachee High School, will learn his sentence in the summer.

Court documents show that Gray's sentencing hearing will take place on July 28 and 29 at the Barrow County Courthouse.

In March, a jury found Gray guilty of second-degree murder and dozens of other charges, including involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children.

Gray faces up to 30 years in prison for the murder charge and up to 180 years in total.

The Georgia man's prosecution marked the third time a parent has been charged for their connection to a mass shooting allegedly carried out by their child. He is believed to be the first adult charged in connection with a school shooting in Georgia. 

Georgia High School Shooting
Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, is handcuffed and escorted out of the room after jury deliberations at his trial at Barrow County Courthouse on March 3, 2026. Abbey Cutrer / AP

A deadly school shooting in Georgia

Investigators say on Sept. 4, 2024, then-14-year-old Colt Gray carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle onto the school bus, with the barrel sticking out of his book bag, wrapped up in a poster board. They say the boy left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the rifle before shooting people in a classroom and hallways.

Killed in the shooting were 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. Another teacher and eight other students were wounded.

Authorities say the teen carefully plotted the shooting at his Barrow County high school, including allegedly leaving a notebook with handwritten instructions detailing the steps to prepare for the violence and a diagram of his classroom.

Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray gave his son the weapon used in the shooting as a Christmas gift, as well as ammunition, despite multiple warning signs that the boy's mental state was deteriorating.

Colt Gray's trial remains uncertain

Colt Gray faces 55 counts, including murder and aggravated assault. He has previously pleaded not guilty. 

Last year, attorneys told the judge they were waiting for Gray's medical evaluation to be completed. Once that's done the attorneys said they would determine what additional motions they would files and will guide the direction of the case moving forward. 

Apalachee High School Shooting
School shooting suspect Colt Gray exits the Barrow County Courthouse on Dec. 9, 2025, in Winder, Georgia. Mike Stewart / AP

Attorneys also indicated in late 2025 that the teen was negotiating a plea deal regarding his charges related to the 2024 shooting. It is unclear if those talks are still ongoing. 

A status hearing for the younger Gray is set for the morning of May 28 at the Barrow County Courthouse.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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