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A school shooter who admitted to killing four people at his high school was seen laughing in court as one of his surviving victims described the life-changing injuries she suffered in the attack.
Colt Gray, now 16, pleaded guilty on Friday (July 24) to murdering four people and injuring nine others during the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County on September 4, 2024.
Gray was just 14 years old when he entered his algebra classroom with a rifle and fired around 15 shots.
Students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, were tragically killed, along with teachers Cristina Irimie, 52, and Richard Aspinwall, 39.
He now faces a minimum sentence of life in prison after pleading guilty to 55 felony charges.
During the sentencing hearing, survivor Natalie Griffith gave a victim impact statement describing how the shooting continues to affect her every day.
The young woman, who was among the nine people wounded in the attack, became emotional as she recalled what happened in court.
At one point, she appeared overwhelmed and began speaking more quickly before the judge encouraged her to slow down.
"I'm sorry," Griffith replied.
As the exchange unfolded, Gray was seen grinning and laughing while seated between his defence attorneys.
The courtroom also briefly laughed before Griffith continued her statement.
"I got shot twice, once in my wrist and once in my upper arm," she said. "I lost the ability to use my left hand, but on some days it doesn't feel like that is the biggest thing I lost."
"After the shooting, I lost my independence. I could not put on my own clothes or do my own hair, things that were easy for me became a challenge."
She also described how the trauma continues to shape her daily life.
"My mind immediately goes to the worst possible scenario," she continued. "I wonder if there's a gun. I wonder if I need to run. I'm so very afraid of loud sounds. And I start to panic when I hear them."
"Some days when I think about the shooting it feels like he killed me even though I lived. The part of me that trusted people died," she added.
The court also heard from Breanna Schermerhorn, whose 14-year-old son Mason was killed in the attack.
"I do not forgive, Mr. Gray," she told the court. "He took away every birthday we would have celebrated, every holiday, every graduation, every milestone, every hug."
Jurors were also shown an interview Gray gave investigators shortly after the shooting, in which he admitted becoming fixated on Nikolas Cruz, who carried out the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
"I became obsessed with him on an emotional level because I understood some of the stuff he came through," Gray said. "He shot up his school, but on an emotional level I could understand the trauma and stuff that he went through."
Gray also revealed that around a week and a half before the shooting, he created a Securus messaging account in an attempt to contact Cruz.
He said he introduced himself before sending a second message in hopes of getting a reply, but Cruz never responded.
Gray's father, Colin Gray, was also prosecuted over the shooting after police said he ignored several warning signs and gave his son the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack as a Christmas gift.
Prosecutors said the 55-year-old had even boasted about his son's shooting abilities before the tragedy.
"We do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer hunting," Colin was heard saying in an audio recording. "He actually shot his first deer this year."
Earlier this year, a jury found the father guilty of 29 charges tied to the shooting, making him one of the first times a parent has been charged for their child’s crimes and school shooting violence.
Prosecutors had argued Colin was "the one person who could have prevented" the tragedy and that he knew his son "was a bomb just waiting to go off" when he gave him the firearm, per BBC News.
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The suspect who allegedly carried out a school shooting in Georgia reportedly said three words to the police after he was arrested.
As previously reported, the tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday morning when Colt Gray, 14, allegedly opened fire inside Apalachee High School at approximately 10:30AM, resulting in the deaths of two students and two teachers.
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The victims have been identified as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angelo, along with two math teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
A new report by the New York Post has provided insight into Gray's upbringing, with a former neighbor recounting troubling incidents involving the family.
Lauren Vickers, who lived next door to the Gray family in Jefferson, Georgia, told the outlet about disturbing events she witnessed.
“There were nights where the mom would lock him and his sister out of the house.
"They’d be banging on the back door, just screaming: ‘Mom! Mom!’ and crying. It was absolutely devastating,” Vickers claimed.
Vickers further alleged that Gray’s younger sibling would sometimes come to her yard asking for food.
"No clean clothes, I’m not exaggerating. It was constant abuse. It’s very, very sad," she added.
Investigators had visited the Gray household in May 2023 after the FBI received tips about online threats Gray had allegedly made regarding a potential school shooting.
At the time, both father and son were interviewed, with Gray denying the threats.
His father told authorities he kept hunting guns at home but assured them Colt didn’t have access to them.
The officers had advised Colin Gray to secure the firearms and suggested keeping his son out of school until the matter was resolved.
However, due to conflicting evidence regarding the online threats, the case was closed, and no arrests were made.
In a report by the New York Post, Gray reportedly confessed to investigators shortly after his arrest, saying: “I did it."
The chilling admission came during an interrogation following the tragic Wednesday morning shooting, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told CNN.
Gray, who has been charged with murder and will be tried as an adult, made his first court appearance on Friday.
Following Wednesday’s tragic events, investigators searched Colt Gray’s home and uncovered documents in his bedroom that suggested an obsession with previous school shootings.
Among the material were details related to the 2018 Parkland massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, law enforcement sources told CNN.
It remains unclear what specific aspects of the Parkland shooting Colt had allegedly studied.
The 14-year-old alleged shooter at Apalachee High School reportedly sent his mom a harrowing three-word text just minutes before the attack.
On September 4, police responded to the school following reports of an active shooter.
The victims at the school in Winder, Barrow County included two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and two teachers, Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
Colt Gray, 14, was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack and is expected to be tried as an adult.
Nine others were injured during the shooting. According to CNN, Gray allegedly surrendered when confronted by a school resource officer.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith stated that after his arrest, Gray confessed to investigators, saying: "I did it."
In the aftermath, troubling details about the days and moments leading up to the shooting have come to light. The Washington Post reported that Gray sent a message apologizing to his mother, Marcee, before the shooting, prompting her to urgently call the school.
Charles Polhamus, Gray’s maternal grandfather, told The Post that his daughter was at his house when she received the message, which allegedly said, "I’m sorry, mom."
Marcee called the school to alert staff of an "extreme emergency" and later told her sister: “I was the one that notified the school counselor at the high school. I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find [my son] to check on him.”
It was later revealed that the FBI had interviewed Gray in May 2023 following anonymous reports of someone making "online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time."
Gray, interviewed with his father, denied making the threats, and no arrests were made at that time.
The FBI issued a statement saying: "The father stated that he had hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unsupervised access to them [...] At the time, there was no probable cause for an arrest or to take any additional law enforcement action on the local, state or federal levels."
Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, has also been arrested in connection with the shooting and faces charges including "four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children," according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The first mugshot of the 14-year-old who allegedly carried out a school shooting in Georgia has been released.
The tragic event unfolded Wednesday morning at Apalachee High School, leaving two students and two teachers dead.
Colt Gray, 14, is alleged to have opened fire inside the school at approximately 10:30AM, according to details shared by officials during a press conference Wednesday evening, as cited by the New York Post.
The four victims were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angelo, both 14, and math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
A new report by the New York Post has now shed light on Gray's upbringing.
A former neighbor, Lauren Vickers, who lived next door to the Gray family in Jefferson, Georgia, recounted troubling incidents to the outlet.
“There were nights where the mom would lock him and his sister out of the house. They’d be banging on the back door, just screaming, ‘Mom! Mom!’ and crying. It was absolutely devastating,” she claimed.
Vickers also claimed that the youngest child would sometimes come to her yard asking for food, alleging: "No clean clothes, I’m not exaggerating. It was constant abuse. It’s very, very sad."
Gray’s mother, Marcee, 43, has a long criminal record, including arrests for drug offenses and domestic violence.
According to Vickers, she frequently drew attention in the neighborhood.
“I would find her in the driveway, passed out, with the car running and music blaring early in the morning,” she said, describing incidents where Marcee allegedly drove her younger child to daycare while intoxicated.
Gray’s father, Colin, 54, reportedly bought his son an AR-15 rifle for Christmas last year, despite a prior FBI investigation into online threats Colt had made.
Authorities now allege this rifle was used in the tragic shooting.
Colt’s maternal grandfather, Charles Polhamus, told CNN: “He was just a good kid who lived in an environment that was hostile. His dad beat up on him - not physically, but screaming and hollering, and he did the same thing to my daughter.”
A mugshot of Colt has since been released following his arrest.
As authorities try to understand Colt Gray’s motive for the shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is reviewing previous contacts between the family and the state’s child protective services agency.
GBI Director Chris Hosey said: “We are pursuing that avenue as well to see if that has any connection with today’s incident.”
Vickers claimed that despite her repeated calls to child services, little action was taken. “They came, talked to me, and did nothing,” she said.
Gray, who has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, is set to appear in court on Friday.
His motive for the shooting remains unclear as authorities continue to investigate the events that led to the tragic incident.
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Authorities have identified the four victims killed during a high school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday.
Two students and two teachers were killed at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday (September 4) after an alleged 14-year-old suspect named Colt Gray opened fire with an AR-15-style weapon, as reported by The New York Post.
At least nine others - eight students and one teacher - were taken to the hospital following the heartbreaking incident, and are expected to survive, according to CNN.
The victims have been identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
Mason Schermerhorn, 14
Schermerhorn, who was autistic, was one of the two students killed.
Friends of the 14-year-old's mom told The New York Times that he had recently started at Apalachee.
He was described as a lighthearted boy who spent time with his loved ones and enjoyed reading, playing video games, telling jokes, and visiting Walt Disney World.
"He really enjoyed life," Doug Kilburn, who has known Schermerhorn’s mother for a decade, told the publication. "He always had an upbeat attitude about everything."
Christian Angulo, 14
Angulo's older sister remembered her younger brother as a “very good kid” who was “very sweet and so caring,” on a GoFundMe page.
“He was so loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected. We are truly heartbroken. He really didn’t deserve this," she said.
"We kindly ask if you could help us with any donations to help us with expenses for his funeral ceremony due to his loss being so sudden. We appreciate anything you can give. We also would appreciate any prayers at this time," they concluded.
As of the time of writing, $35,035 has been raised.
Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall
Irimie was one of the two educators killed in the horrific shooting.
According to the Barrow County Schools website, the 53-year-old taught math at Apalachee High School. Students described her as patient and caring, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Aspinwall, who was also a math teacher and assistant coach of the Winder-based school’s football team, also lost his life in the tragedy.
Head coach Mike Hancock shared a tribute post about the 39-year-old, which read: "He was a great dad, man, and a great father. He loved his two girls and he loved his wife. He did happen to love the game of football and he was well respected around this area," cited by USA Today.
Sophomore player Isaiah Hooks also spoke about the late teacher: “It’s just so hard to think that somebody that you spent so much time with because this is my second year with a coach, but spending so much time, like family basically. So, turning around, knowing that he’s not going to be there."
Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said the suspect, who is a minor, would be charged as an adult with four counts of murder.
“And I would just ask all Georgians and all Americans to continue to keep these families, these educators, and these students in your thoughts and prayers,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on Wednesday night, per The NY Post.
“And we will provide every state resource that is needed from here until they’re not. To support this community and support this team behind me," he added.
Kamala Harris condemned the deadly shooting during a campaign event in North Hampton, New Hampshire.
“We’re still gathering information about what happened, but we know that there were multiple fatalities and injuries, and our hearts are with all the students, the teachers, and their families,” the Democratic nominee said, per The Guardian. “Of course, we are grateful to the first responders and the law enforcement that were on the scene."
"But this is just a senseless tragedy, on top of so many senseless tragedies, and it’s just outrageous that every day in our country, in the United States of America, that parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive," she continued.
“It’s senseless. It is. We’ve got to stop it, and we have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all. You know, it doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way," she concluded.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this horrific tragedy.
The mother of mass school shooter Colt Gray had threatened to kill her estranged husband less than a year before their son killed four people at Apalachee High School in Georgia, DailyMail.com can exclusively report.
Marcee Gray, 43, has a criminal history spanning over 17 years and was jailed as recently as April, according to court records.
The former quality engineer was arrested in Barrow County in November, suspected of possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and muscle relaxants.
She also faced charges of aggravated battery, theft by taking, criminal trespass, false imprisonment, and failure to appear in Fitzgerald County in January.
Sources revealed to DailyMail.com that the mother-of-three had ‘threatened to kill her husband’ during one of the incidents.
She also ‘tied up’ her elderly mother, leaving her for 24 hours. The exact reasons behind her actions are unclear, but Marcee Gray had previously posted online about the impacts of substance abuse on a family.
Marcee had shared several concerning posts on Facebook over the years, detailing her struggles with her estranged husband Colin Gray, whom she accused of abuse.
In November 2022, Marcee Gray wrote: "From my husband’s first memory, all he knew was abuse. Severe physical abuse (I’m talking everything from getting a broken arm at age 8 while he was totally asleep to having a barstool crack his skull open...I still rub my fingers across the scar/gouge on his scalp and think to myself 'How?!
"I can’t even comprehend it!' ..that is what substance abuse can do. To a mama, a daddy, a spouse, a sibling....you name it and it will reach them."
That same day, Marcee expressed in another post: "I know it’s hard to understand from the outside looking in. Everyone in my and his family couldn’t understand why I stayed as long as I did.
"Ultimately it was my own decision… I made a commitment to the Lord and my husband. No one but me understands the pain that my husband lives with every single day.
"Every single person in his life has hurt or betrayed him… And I truly believe that the Lord sent me to him because no one else was strong enough to stay by his side through thick and thin. I’m not about to give up on him now… We are just taking a break."
The following month, Marcee announced on LinkedIn: "Finally separated from my abusive husband of almost 14yrs... Hardest shit I’ve ever done but we’re in good hands."
In May 2023, she shared: "I packed myself and my babies up and relocated to my hometown in south GA. We are all good and my kids are thriving."
That same month, police contacted Colin Gray following an FBI tip that Colt Gray had threatened to shoot up his school on Discord.
Colin Gray told police at the time that he had recently separated from Colt's mother and that 'she took his younger two' children.
In December 2023, Marcee Gray pleaded guilty to charges including using a license plate to conceal identity, criminal damage to property in the second degree, and criminal trespass/family violence.
She was prosecuted under Georgia’s First Offender Act, allowing eligible defendants to plead guilty without a conviction.
Court records indicate she was not actually charged with drug possession related to her arrest. An arrest warrant obtained by DailyMail.com detailed that Gray had a glass jar containing methamphetamine, a ‘baggie’ of fentanyl, another ‘baggie’ with muscle relaxants, and a glass pipe used for drug consumption.
She was also found to have concealed the identity of her Nissan Rogue by using a tag meant for a Nissan Kick.
Documents reveal she was sentenced to five years in jail, with the first 46 days in confinement and the remainder on probation.
Conditions of her probation included no contact with her husband except through a third party for matters involving their children or divorce. She was also required to pay $1,500 in restitution, participate in a family violence intervention program, and avoid drugs and alcohol.
Court records also reveal misdemeanor traffic offenses in 2019, 2014, 2008, and 2007.
Earlier charges included driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in a $600 fine, 12 months probation, and 40 hours of community service. Gray was also sued in 2019 by Nash Chevrolet Company, which claimed she used a $10,000 check as a down payment for a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, but the check was dishonored.
In February 2020, Gray was ordered to pay over $19,000 to the dealership, including the money owed, interest, attorney fees, and punitive damages.
Meanwhile, her 14-year-old son is charged as an adult with four counts of murder. His father, Colin, also faces charges in connection with the killings, allegedly telling police he bought the gun used in the shooting as a holiday gift for his son.
The teenager is accused of shooting two students and two teachers at the school, with nine others injured.
Reports suggest the teen was obsessed with notorious school shooters, including Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz.
During a search of the teen's Georgia home after the attack, police reportedly found evidence of his obsession with mass shootings, particularly the Parkland massacre in 2018, which claimed 17 lives.
Gray was already known to the FBI following several tips in the previous year. In May 2023, Jackson County officers questioned both Gray and his father about a Discord channel allegedly linked to the then-13-year-old that contained school shooting threats.
The Discord account had a username written in Russian, translating to ‘Lanza,’ referencing Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Elementary shooter, according to officers.
The teen denied making the threats, claiming his Discord had been repeatedly hacked and expressing concern over the accusations.
Colin Gray told investigators his son understands the seriousness of weapons and their proper use and assured them he would be ‘mad as hell’ if the threats were true, stating that ‘all the guns [would] go away.’
The report noted that deputies couldn’t substantiate the tip enough to take further action.
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