Judge says suspect in Georgia high school shooting will not face death penalty

Updated September 6, 2024 at 12:18 PM ET

Days after a shooting at a high school in Georgia left four people dead and nine others injured, the 14-year-old suspect and his father appeared in separate court to hear the charges against them.

Each hearing lasted less than ten minutes. Both defendants remain in custody – in different prisons – after their lawyers rejected a request for bail.

The teenager, Colt Gray, was charged as an adult with four cases of premeditated murder in connection with the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, at the two teachers and two students dead.

He appeared Friday morning in Barrow Superior Court, where Piedmont Judicial Circuit Judge Currie Mingledorff II asked him several basic questions before informing him of his rights. Gray, wearing a green shirt and his face obscured by shaggy blond hair, responded, “Yes, sir.”

Mingledorff then explained to Gray that the maximum sentence for each count of murder was either death or life imprisonment with or without parole. But the judge made a mistake and later called Gray back into the room to correct the record: he would not be considered if convicted because he was under 18.

Gray’s lawyer has not requested bail, nor has he entered a guilty plea. The judge has scheduled another hearing for December 4, Associated Press reports.

A while later, Gray’s father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, appeared in Court for its own hearingHe was arrested on Thursday and charged with four counts of negligent homicide, two counts of premeditated murder and eight counts of child abuse.

“His charges are directly related to his son’s actions and his permission to possess a gun,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey told reporters Thursday.

The elder Gray, wearing striped prison garb and speaking hoarsely, told the judge his age and, when asked, said he had completed 11th grade. The judge read him his rights, charges and maximum sentence if convicted as Gray rocked back and forth in his chair.

Mingledorff said each count of aggravated murder would carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and each count of aggravated manslaughter would carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The judge said Gray faces a maximum sentence of 180 years in prison. His preliminary hearing is also scheduled for December 4.

The investigation continues

The GBI has identified those killed as students Christian Angulo (14) and Mason Schermerhorn (14) and teachers Richard Aspinwall (39) and Cristina Irimie (53).

The GBI had previously stated that autopsies would be performed on the four victims on Thursday.

The nine people injured in the shooting are expected to make a full recovery, Sheriff Jud Smith of Barrow County, Georgia, told reporters Thursday evening.

“And that, I think, is a testament to the response we’ve received, the response of the medical staff,” Smith said during Thursday’s press conference.

Among the injured were eight students and one teacher, the GBI said in an online FAQ. Seven of the nine injured were shot and the victims were given tourniquets.

The suspect was arrested at the school.

Investigators have described the weapon used in the shooting as an “AR-style platform weapon,” but have not been able to publicly determine where the suspect obtained it. The GBI said Colin Gray “knowingly allowed his son” to possess a gun, but declined to provide further details because the investigation is ongoing.

The GBI said Thursday that the investigation “remains active and ongoing.”

“This is Day 2 of a very complex investigation and the integrity of the case is of the utmost importance,” the agency wrote on X. “We ask for the public’s patience as we work to ensure a successful prosecution and justice for the victims.”

The FBI had already investigated the suspected shooter

In a post on XThe FBI said it received “multiple anonymous tips about online threats to carry out a school shooting at an unknown location and time” in May 2023, and the threats included photos of weapons.

The FBI said the sheriff’s office in nearby Jackson County had identified “a possible subject,” a 13-year-old boy, and was questioning him and his father.

“The father stated he had hunting weapons in the house, but the offender did not have unsupervised access to them. The offender denied making the threats online,” the FBI said.

The FBI said local schools have been instructed to continue monitoring the individual, but there are no probable causes for an arrest or further police action. The agency confirmed that the teenager was the perpetrator taken into custody after Wednesday’s shooting.

A piece of technology helped in the quick response to the shooting

Smith thanked Centegix, an emergency alert technology, for alerting emergency responders to Wednesday’s shooting.

WABE: School districts in metro Atlanta take precautions after shooting at Apalachee High School

The Atlanta-based company makes a credit card-sized ID card that can be worn on a lanyard. The ID card features a button that allows staff to immediately notify the school, other employees and police of any health or safety issues on campus, NPR member station WABE reported.

Copyright: NPR