Colt Gray, the teenager accused of killing four students and injuring nine others in the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, pleaded guilty to all 55 charges in court. Gray admitted guilt without any pre-arranged deal between his attorneys and the prosecution.

Facing charges including malice murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault, Gray could face up to 180 years in prison. The hearing follows months after Gray’s attorneys attempted to negotiate a plea deal for him. Judge Nicholas Primm had set a deadline for a possible plea, which could extend into the following week.

Earlier, Primm ordered Gray’s trial to be moved to Columbia County due to extensive media coverage affecting jury impartiality in Barrow County.

Gray’s father, Colin Gray, also faces charges related to the shooting. Convicted on 27 counts, including second-degree murder and cruelty to children, Colin was the first parent charged in connection to a mass school shooting in Georgia.

Prosecutors argued Colin Gray provided his son with the gun used in the shooting despite signs of the teen’s declining mental health. Colt Gray allegedly created a shrine dedicated to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter convicted of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School incident.

Colin admitted to gifting the rifle, as he hoped to bond with his son through hunting and shooting activities. His sentencing is scheduled for July 30.

On September 4, 2024, Colt Gray carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle onto the school bus, wrapped in poster board. Leaving class, he emerged from a bathroom with the rifle, opening fire in a classroom and hallways.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation found notebooks detailing Gray’s plans, including a directive to “shoot the teacher first.” The shooting resulted in the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, while another teacher and eight students were wounded.

Gray surrendered on the scene to school resource officers and has remained in custody. The incident prompted a memorial outside Apalachee High School, adorned with flowers and balloons.