GEORGIA — Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray was sentenced to life without parole Tuesday, our sister station WSB-TV in Atlanta reports.
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Judge Nicholas Primm handed down the sentence following three days of testimony and arguments during Gray’s sentencing hearing.
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Gray, 16, changed his plea to guilty Friday to the 55 charges connected to the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting, WSB-TV reported.
As previously reported, he carried out the mass shooting as a 14-year-old freshman at the school in September 2024. Teachers Ricky Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were killed.
Tuesday afternoon, Defense Attorney Charlton Allen and District Attorney Brad Smith presented closing arguments to the judge.
“I think it’s become abundantly clear his ultimate goal was to be famous. Not in the sense adults think of fame but famous and popular within this subculture community,” Smith told the judge.
Witnesses testified Monday that Gray was a member of an online True Crime Community.
As WSB-TV reported, they told the judge that that community intersects with neo-nazi groups, idolizing school shooters and encouraging others to commit violence.
“The shooting was not the culmination of the plan. The shooting was just one of the steps of the plan,” said Smith.
An investigator on the stand said jail phone calls between Gray and his mom indicated he has no remorse.
He reminded the judge of evidence that showed Gray mimicking other mass shooters before and after the shooting in a way that members of the True Crime Community would recognize and latch on to for online content.
“The plan was ultimate and lifelong fame,” said Smith.
He said arguments that Gray’s chaotic childhood contributed to the crime are offensive to others who have survived brutal child abuse.
“We’ve seen no evidence he has any ability to develop a conscience or any ability to ever value human life,” said Smith.
Defense Attorney Charlton Allen told the judge during his closing argument that Gray is young enough to change.
“He’s not irretrievably broken,” Allen said.
Allen said Gray can still become a productive member of society.
“A life sentence with parole gives him an opportunity for hope. It’s an important factor for someone becoming a different person,” said Allen. “If we give him life without parole, that gives him no hope to change.”
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