Georgia school shooting latest: 14-year-old suspect, father ordered held in custody

Father Colin Gray also charged with 2nd degree murder, involuntary manslaughter

ByJon Haworth ABCNews logo
Friday, September 6, 2024 4:43PM
Teen, father charged in Georgia high school shooting held in custody
The 14-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed four people at a Georgia high school and his father will both stay in custody after back-to-back court hearings.

WINDER, Ga. -- Colt Gray, the 14-year-old accused of opening fire at his Georgia high school, and his father, Colin Gray, each made their first appearances in the same courtroom Friday in connection to the mass shooting.

Colt Gray, 14, was ordered held in jail without bond in his first court appearance Friday.

At Colt Gray's appearance, Judge Currie Mingledorff informed him of the charges against him and ordered him held without bond.

Colt Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder for allegedly shooting and killing two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School on Wednesday. Another seven students and two teachers were injured.

More charges will be filed against Colt Gray in connection to the surviving victims, prosecutors said.

The 14-year-old will be tried as an adult, authorities said.

Collin Gray, father of a suspect in a Georgia high school shoot, appeared in court on charges of second degree murder.

The teen's father, Colin Gray, 54, was arrested Thursday and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI said.

Colin Gray is accused of "knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon," GBI Director Chris Hosey said Thursday. Investigators believe that Gray received the AR-style gun used in the shooting as a Christmas present from his father, according to sources.

SEE ALSO | Georgia high school shooting: What we know about the 4 victims

Richard Aspinwall, Christina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were all victims in the Apalachee High School shooting on September 4.
Richard Aspinwall, Christina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were all victims in the Apalachee High School shooting on September 4.
Apalachee High School/Family Photo/GoFundMe via CNN Newsource

Colin Gray, who also appeared in front of Mingledorff, appeared to be rocking back and forth in his chair during the hearing.

If convicted on all of the charges he is facing, Colin Gray could be sentenced to 180 years, Mingledorff said.

Mingledorff thanked those in the gallery for their decorum. One of the members of the gallery clutched a doll during the hearing.

Booking photo of Apalachee High School shooting suspect, Colt Gray, released by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office.
Booking photo of Apalachee High School shooting suspect, Colt Gray, released by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office.
Barrow County Sheriff's Office

A motive has not yet been determined and it is unknown if the victims were targeted, investigators said.

The next court appearances for Colt Gray and Colin Gray were set for Dec. 4.

SEE ALSO: Apalachee teacher fatally shot by his classroom doorway: 'He was trying to crawl back to us'