A 14-year-old boy accused of killing four in the Apalachee High School shooting and his father made their first court appearances in the historic case.
The alleged shooter, Colt Gray, walked into Barrow County Superior Court wearing a dark green prison outfit on Friday morning. His orangish blond, wavy hair went down to his shoulders.
During the 11-minute trial, Apalachee student Gray said only two words in response to the judge’s questions: ‘Yes, sir.’
Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder in connection with the mass shooting at the Georgia high school on Wednesday morning.
‘I want to make you aware that the maximum penalty for felony murder,’ said Judge Currie Mingledorff II.
‘So, for each count, the maximum penalty is that you could be punishable by death, by imprisonment for life without parole or by imprisonment for life, with the possibility of parole.’
But the judge quickly told Gray, who will be tried as an adult, that he will not face the death penalty.
Gray did not enter a plea.
In a separate hearing shortly afterward, Gray’s father Colin Gray, 54, who was arrested on Thursday, appeared in court wearing a white and gray striped prison uniform.
He said he finished 11th grade and earned his GED.
The dad was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children, per the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
He rocked in his chair as the judge announced the maximum penalties.
‘For the felony murder counts… the maximum penalty for each count is up to 30 years imprisonment,’ Mingledorff said.
‘For felony involuntary manslaughter… the maximum penalty for for each of those offenses is ten years imprisonment.
‘For the eight felony cruelty to children counts, the maximum penalty under the law for each of those eight counts is ten years imprisonment for a maximum total, possible penalty for the charges that you currently are facing, of 180 years imprisonment.’
The son and father will both remain in custody and their attorneys did not seek bail. They have their preliminary hearings scheduled for December 4.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
