BARROW COUNTY, GA — Day two of the sentencing hearing for Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray is underway Monday as the defense focuses on the teenager’s mental health.
Gray pleads guilty to the 55-count indictment and several murder charges stemming from the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting.
Defense attorneys are presenting mitigation evidence as they argue for the possibility of parole. Witnesses include a psychologist, a juvenile detention center counselor and Gray’s grandmother.
During testimony, Barrow County Sheriff’s Investigator Jason Smith describes drawings found in Gray’s notebook.
“A stick figure cartoon, it says ‘shoot the teacher first, the students next,’” Smith said.
Smith also describes another drawing.
“A stick figure drawing with the individual holding what appears to be a firearm and shooting that firearm at another stick figure who has their arms up,” Smith said.
The court is also hearing recordings of Gray telling investigators he believed teachers were plotting against him and that he heard voices.
“I had also told people that I thought my teachers were plotting against me, now obviously they’re trying to tell me now, but I know I’m not insane I know they were,” Gray said.
“It was something that I know I heard. It was a multitude of people that it was going to be sometime soon, it was either going to be possibly today, tomorrow, it could be this week, I didn’t know and I was scared,” Gray said.
Gray also discusses his mental health.
“I just felt so, I don’t know, and then the schizophrenia started and it had complete control over me, I’m not that individual who’s going to go out and kill people,” Gray said.
The judge will decide whether Gray will be eligible for parole. He faces the possibility of life without parole. Because Gray was 14 at the time of the shooting, the death penalty is not being considered.
Gray is scheduled to be sentenced at the conclusion of the proceedings.
Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was found guilty earlier this year of related charges for giving his son access to the gun used in the shooting. He is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday and faces up to 180 years in prison.
WSB Radio’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story.