Four people died when 14-year-old Colton Gray opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder on September 4, 2024. On Friday, he pleaded guilty to every charge filed against him.
What happened: Colton Gray entered guilty pleas to all 55 counts, which include murder charges in each of the four deaths. The victims were two students and two teachers. Several others were wounded in the attack.
His father’s case: Colton’s father, Colin Gray, was previously convicted at trial of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to children for his role in the shooting. Prosecutors argued Colin gave his son the rifle used in the attack as a Christmas gift and failed to secure it. A jury reached that unanimous verdict in just under two hours after more than two weeks of testimony.
What’s new: With Colton Gray’s guilty plea, criminal proceedings against the shooter himself are resolved.
The path forward: Gray will be sentenced by a judge and could face life in prison without parole.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
