Psychologist Reveals Troubling Background of Georgia School Shooter

WHO:

ABC News - Colt Gray, a teenager who killed two students and two teachers.

CNN - Teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie; students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo; survivors and family members of victims, including Sarah Beaver and Ismael Angulo Jr.

CNN - Barrow County Assistant District Attorney Alix Daniel; Barrow County Sheriff’s Office investigator Jason Smith; Colt Gray's father, Colin Gray; and his ex-wife, Marcee Colt.

WHAT:

ABC News - Colt Gray had a chaotic and lonely upbringing.

CNN - Colt Gray pleaded guilty to 55 charges, including four counts of murder.

CNN - The shooting resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students, and nine others were wounded.

CNN - Colt Gray's sentencing hearing is ongoing, with the judge deciding between life in prison with or without the possibility of parole.

CNN - Emotional victim impact statements were presented during the sentencing hearing.

WHERE:

ABC News - Apalachee High School in Georgia.

CNN - Winder, Georgia, where the community is affected by the shooting.

WHEN:

CNN - The shooting occurred on September 4, 2024.

CNN - Colt Gray's father, Colin Gray, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter charges in March 2026.

CNN - Colin Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, 2026.

WHY:

CNN - Colt Gray's troubled childhood and mental health issues were discussed during the trial.

CNN - Prosecutors accused Colt's father of providing him access to firearms despite warnings about his behavior.

HOW:

CNN - Colt Gray described his planning and thoughts in notebooks recovered after the shooting, including entries about his fear and intentions.

CNN - Investigators found a shrine to Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz in Colt's bedroom.

CNN - Colt expressed remorse during an interview with investigators shortly after the shooting, stating, “I’ve probably affected thousands of people, this was just fking horrible.”

(UPDATED July 27, 2026 17:35 UTC)

In a tragic case from Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, Colt Gray, a teenager, has pleaded guilty to 55 charges, including four counts of murder, after a shooting that claimed the lives of two teachers and two students, while injuring nine others. The ongoing sentencing hearing is focusing on whether Gray will receive life in prison with or without the possibility of parole, with emotional victim impact statements being presented. Meanwhile, his father, Colin Gray, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter charges earlier this year and is set to be sentenced on July 30, 2026.