Teen to plead guilty in Apalachee High School shooting

The teenager accused of killing four people in a mass shooting at a Georgia high school in 2024 is expected to plead guilty to dozens of charges at a hearing on July 24. Colt Gray, 16, previously pleaded not guilty to 55 charges, including murder and cruelty to children in connection with the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School that killed two students, two teachers and injured nine others in Winder, Georgia, a small town about an hour northeast of Atlanta. He was expected to stand trial in Columbia County in October, but as the deadline for Gray to notify the court that he wanted to plead guilty approached, a "non-negotiated plea" and sentencing hearing was set. A non-negotiated plea, sometimes referred to as a blind plea, is one in which the defense and prosecution have not agreed on a sentence, leaving Gray's punishment entirely up to Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm. If he pleads guilty to the murder charges, Gray would face a maximum sentence of life without parole. There is no death penalty for juveniles. On July 28 and 29, Primm is expected to oversee the sentencing of Gray's father, Colin Gray, who in March was found guilty of murder and other charges for providing his son with the rifle allegedly used in the mass shooting.