Colt Gray returns to court

Well, the teen accused of opening fire inside Appalachia High School is expected to plead guilty this morning. Two students and two teachers were killed in the shooting that happened almost two years ago. It is. Kim Loeffler is joining us from outside the Barrow County Courthouse with more on what to expect in court today, Kim. Well, good morning. Attorneys for Cole Gray say this was his decision to enter this guilty plea. It comes after a judge had already granted a request to move his trial out of Barrow County. 16 year old Colt Gray is expected to plead guilty to the charges stemming from the deadly shooting at Appalachia High School, avoiding a trial. The teen faces 55 charges in the September 2024 shooting that took the lives of two students and two teachers and injured nine others. Mr Gray indicated through his lawyers that he wanted to change his plea and proceed with this non negotiated process where he is going to plead guilty and then the non negotiated portion will be related to the sentencing involved on those 55 charges. Criminal defense attorney Joshua Schiffer, who is not involved in the case, told Fox local on Thursday that Friday's hearing will likely focus on victim impact statements, followed by the defense explaining what led up to the shooting. So I believe tomorrow we're going to see a very emotional presentation by the victim's families and the state. We're going to see some wonderful mitigation from the defense delving into young Mr Gray's lifestyle. What happened when he was being raised? How we got to this point where he committed such a violent act. Colt's father, Colin Gray, has already been convicted on 27 counts, including murder for providing the gun used in the shooting. Following the plea, a judge will decide how long he will stay behind bars. So the question moves more from how long is the sentence to whether he's ever going to qualify for parole and life without parole for teenagers has been a hot topic nationally for going on a couple of decades. Court here is scheduled to begin at nine a.m. Colin Gray sentencing is scheduled for next week. Live this morning in Barrow County, Kim Loeffler for Good Day Atlanta.