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Colt Gray, the teen accused of killing four people in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in 2024, is expected to change his not guilty plea at an upcoming court hearing, court documents show.Gray previously pleaded not guilty to 55 charges, including murder and cruelty to children in connection with the deadly shooting that killed two students, two teachers and injured nine others in Winder, Georgia, a small town about an hour northeast of Atlanta.Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm set a "non-negotiated plea" and sentencing hearing for July 24, according to a recent court filing. The new hearing was scheduled just days before a July 15 deadline for Gray to notify the court that he intends to plead guilty ahead of trial.A non-negotiated plea, sometimes referred to as a blind plea, occurs when the defense and prosecution cannot come to an agreement on a sentence, leaving the punishment entirely up to the judge's discretion.Gray's trial was expected to begin in October. Last month, Primm granted the defense's request to move the trial to Columbia County, finding that extensive publicity surrounding the case could make it difficult to seat an impartial jury in Barrow County, where the shooting occurred.Primm in late July will also oversee the sentencing of Gray's father, Colin Gray, who in March was found guilty of murder and other charges for providing his son with the rifle allegedly used in the shooting. Colin Gray's sentencing hearing is set for July 28 and 29, court records show.Prosecutors allege that Colt Gray used a rifle his father gave him as a Christmas present to carry out the deadly attack at his school on Sept. 4, 2024. Gray was 14 at the time of the shooting, but prosecutors charged him as an adult.Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie were killed in the rampage, which sent shock waves through the tight-knit, rural community.Prosecutors said months before the deadly attack, Gray had been accused of threatening a school shooting online. Citing the alleged threats, a sheriff's deputy told Gray's father to lock up his firearms.Investigators also said Gray had a shrine in his bedroom dedicated to Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who fatally shot 17 people at a Florida high school in 2018. Family members told investigators they believed it was a joke and didn't take it seriously. The older Gray told investigators his son struggled with his mental health and that he had sought counseling for him.Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Vanessa Johns, Athens Banner-Herald
