Colt Gray appeared noticeably different as he attended a court hearing virtually on Tuesday, where attorneys discussed the possibility of a plea deal in the case.

Gray had long blond hair in his mugshot and at a court appearance in September of last year. At Tuesday’s hearing, he had short brown hair and glasses.

Defense attorney Alfonso D. Kraft told Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nick Primm that Gray could be ready for a plea hearing in October.

The Context

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. Another teacher and eight more students were injured.

Gray, who was 14 at the time, was indicted on a total of 55 counts in connection with the mass shooting, including murder in the deaths of four people and 25 counts of aggravated assault. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

What To Know

Kraft said Gray will be meeting with a psychologist soon, and he will likely be ready for a plea hearing after the psychologist finishes their report.

“We should be good to go,” Kraft said.

Prosecutors indicated that it will be a non-negotiated plea, which means they would not recommend a lower sentence.

“In a mass shooting like this, prosecutors aren’t going to give any type of discount or reduction,” Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Newsweek. “This is going to be a life case, and he’s not eligible for the death penalty because of his age.”

Rahmani said that if the case were to go to trial, it would be difficult for Gray’s legal team to formulate a defense.

“There’s so much evidence that implicates him,” Rahmani said. “What possible defense is there going to be?”

Investigators have said that Gray carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle wrapped in poster board onto the school bus on the day of the shooting. They said Gray left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the rifle before opening fire.

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified that the boy left a notebook in his classroom with step-by-step instructions and a diagram made in preparation for the attack.

Colin Gray, Colt’s father, has also been charged in connection with the shooting. He was indicted on 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

What People Are Saying

Rahmani, in an interview with Newsweek: “Whether Colt Gray pleas pursuant to a plea agreement, whether he pleads without a plea agreement, whether he’s convicted at trial, whether his father accepts responsibility and takes the manslaughter, I think the result is going to be the same. Colt’s going to go to prison for the rest of his life.”

Kevin Zink, Aspinwall’s father-in-law, in comments to the Associated Press after the hearing: “If he wants to plead guilty it would be a better route for everybody, get it behind us. I’d like to see it end. The sooner it ends, the better for all of us.”

What Happens Next

Colt’s plea hearing is expected to take place in October. Colin is expected to go to trial in September.

“In order to avoid any publicity tainting that trial, it makes sense to do the plea after,” Primm said at the hearing.

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