Suspected Georgia school shooter Colt Gray appeared in court on Friday, shackled and followed closely by his father Colin Gray, who was told that he could face up to 180 years in prison if found guilty of helping his son obtain the AR-style rifle allegedly used to kill four students and teachers.
Colin Gray has told the authorities that he purchased the firearm for his son as a holiday gift. The 14-year-old suspect, wearing green prison attire, stood before Barrow County Court for a brief bond hearing on Friday morning after being charged as an adult with four counts of murder for the Wednesday mass shooting at Apalachee High School.
No Coming Out of Jail
The teen, currently held at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, stared straight ahead with his shaggy blonde hair partially covering his face as the judge informed him that he could potentially face the death penalty if convicted.
Gray, who did not enter a plea, was led out of the courtroom with his wrists and ankles shackled after his lawyer chose not to request bail.
However, Judge Currie Mingledorff soon brought Gray back into the courtroom to correct an earlier statement, informing the teen that, due to his age being under 18, he would not be eligible for the death penalty. Instead, he could face life imprisonment.
Colin Gray, 54, appeared in the same courtroom shortly after his son, facing a spate of charges, including those related to providing the AR-15-style rifle allegedly used in the deadly shooting.
Dressed in a gray-striped jail uniform, the elder Gray closed his eyes and rocked back and forth in his seat as the judge informed him that he could face up to 180 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
No One Enters Plea
Colin Gray, whose lawyer also chose not to seek bail, faces charges including four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Grief-stricken relatives of at least one of the victims were seated in the front row of the courtroom during the back-to-back hearings, and at one point, were seen tearfully clutching a soft toy.
Before the hearings began, courthouse staff placed boxes of tissues along the courtroom benches.
The young teen, accused of killing four people and injuring nine others during a shooting rampage at his school in Winder, just outside of Atlanta, on Wednesday morning, appeared baby-faced as he faced the charges against him.
He was arrested just minutes after allegedly shooting his victims and later admitted to the crime by telling investigators, "I did it," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told CNN. Investigators have not yet revealed a motive for the attack.
Authorities are scrambling to determine if there were any additional warning signs after they first visited his home in May 2023 in response to a school shooting threat he made on social media, according to investigators.
In the meantime, Gray's father has also been charged in connection with the shooting.
Law enforcement sources said that the father had reportedly bought the AR-style assault rifle for Colt as a Christmas gift, just months after the police had questioned them regarding the online threats.
"His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon," said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.
His son now faces four murder charges related to the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with two teachers, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
