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The teenager accused of killing four people in a mass shooting at a Georgia high school in 2024 is expected to plead guilty to dozens of charges at a hearing on July 24.Colt Gray, 16, previously pleaded not guilty to 55 charges, including murder and cruelty to children in connection with the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School that killed two students, two teachers and injured nine others in Winder, Georgia, a small town about an hour northeast of Atlanta. He was expected to stand trial in Columbia County in October, but as the deadline for Gray to notify the court that he wanted to plead guilty approached, a "non-negotiated plea" and sentencing hearing was set.A non-negotiated plea, sometimes referred to as a blind plea, is one in which the defense and prosecution have not agreed on a sentence, leaving Gray's punishment entirely up to Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm. If he pleads guilty to the murder charges, Gray would face a maximum sentence of life without parole. There is no death penalty for juveniles.On July 28 and 29, Primm is expected to 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 mass shooting.Colin Gray testified in his own defense that he had no idea his son was capable of carrying out a mass shooting. "I struggle with it every day," he said during the emotional testimony.Prosecutors said Gray got the weapon used in the shooting as a Christmas present in 2023, months after the teen had been accused of threatening to commit a school shooting online. Officials said they could not definitively confirm the threat was made by the younger Gray, but a sheriff's deputy urged his father to keep his guns locked up at the time.Investigators have also said that Gray had a fascination with school shooters, even having a photo of the Parkland shooter on his wall, but family members believed it was not serious. Authorities said Gray's father knew his son was struggling with his mental health and sought counseling services for him prior to the shooting.Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie were killed in the Sept. 4, 2024 rampage, which sent shock waves through the tight-knit, rural community.Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; Vanessa Johns and Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald
