Apalachee shooting suspect to appear in Barrow County for plea, sentence hearing

The new filing comes days after Colt Gray’s trial was moved to Columbia County after a request for a change in venue.

Colt Gray, the Apalachee High School shooting suspect, is led in by deputies for a status hearing at Barrow County Superior Court on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Winder. Four people died and nine were injured at the school shooting in Barrow County in 2024. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

By Caroline Silva

1 hour ago

Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray will appear in a Barrow County courtroom later this month for a plea and sentencing hearing, a Friday afternoon filing reveals.

Gray previously pleaded not guilty to 55 felony charges including murder in connection with the shooting that killed two teachers and two students and injured nine others at the school on Sept. 4, 2024. Just three days ago, on Wednesday, Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm granted the defense’s request to move the trial to Columbia County with jury selection to begin in October.

But in a Friday court filing signed by the judge, Gray is set to appear in court for a non-negotiated plea and sentencing hearing on July 24, indicating he may be changing that not guilty plea.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had reached out to Gray’s attorney for comment.

During a late-May hearing, Gray’s defense attorney, Charlton Allen, told the judge he wanted the trial moved out of Barrow. Columbia County is next door to Richmond County, where Augusta is situated.

Colt Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was convicted in March on second-degree murder and other charges tied to the school shooting. He is the first Georgia parent criminally charged in association with a mass school shooting that their child is accused of committing. He is due to be sentenced in late July.