Georgia Supreme Court upholds life sentence for Apalachee High shooter Colt Gray

The Georgia Supreme Court has unanimously rejected an appeal from Colt Gray, the teenager convicted of the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia News First reported.

Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to 55 charges including malice murder and aggravated assault. He was sentenced in July to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm.

The shooting on September 4, 2024, resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students, with nine others injured. Prosecutors presented evidence that Gray planned the attack months in advance, including jail calls and a notebook with sketches and attack plans, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

Gray's appeal argued that his difficult home life and youth should have led to a lesser sentence, but the court found the original sentence reasonable given the deliberate nature of the crime, according to court documents.

Gray's father was also convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for related charges, and his attorneys have requested a new trial.

The decision leaves Gray's sentence of life without parole in place, meaning he will remain in prison for life.