In a gripping police interview unveiled during his sentencing, a Georgia teenager opened up about the tragic high school shooting that claimed four lives. The court presentation of this emotional confession has added a poignant dimension to the case.
Colt Gray, a 16-year-old, could barely contain his emotions, gasping for breath and in tears as he recounted the harrowing events of September 4, 2024. The incident, which took place at Apalachee High School near Winder—some 45 miles east of Atlanta—resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers.
“He didn’t even know, dude,” Gray confessed to the police, as reported by CNN. “He was looking the other way and I just shot him.”
Gray acknowledged the widespread impact of his actions, admitting he had “probably affected thousands of people,” and repeatedly lamented, “this is f***ing horrible.”
Gray, who was just 14 at the time of the attack, entered a guilty plea to charges of murder last Friday. Key excerpts from his recorded police interview were showcased at the sentencing, offering a glimpse into the mind of the young perpetrator.
At one point, Gray suggested that he had ‘no control over these impulses,’ according to the outlet.
Gray also told police that he had a moment in the bathroom where he thought ‘I probably shouldn’t do this’ before beginning the mass shooting.
‘The next thing I know I’m f***ing shooting in a classroom, dude,’ he said.
Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty to carrying out the Apalachee High School shooting in September 2024, which left two students and two teachers dead
In a police interview after the fatal shooting, Gray described firing at one of the victims, telling an investigator that ‘he was looking the other way and I just shot him’
Gray, who is now 16, was only 14 when he carried out the mass shooting. In the interview, he said he had ‘probably affected thousands of people’
Gray told police that he was not attempting to use his ‘fogginess’ to ‘justify’ his actions.
‘I’m not trying to get remorse at all,’ he told law enforcement in the interview, according to CNN.
As Gray attempted to explain why he perpetrated the shooting, the teenager repeatedly sobbed.
‘I think my teachers are against me,’ Gray said. ‘I see them whispering to each other in the hallway and plotting against me.’
He added that he ‘wanted to do something to get them away from me.’
Gray also told police that he had heard voices in his head that were ‘egging him on’ prior to his crimes.
‘This is horrible,’ he said. ‘They’re telling me it’s okay and I did the right thing.’
Two teachers, 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, 53, and two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting.
Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of them being struck by gunfire.
One of the most remarkable moments in Friday’s hearing came when Gray smiled and laughed as a judge told a survivor to slow down while she was reading her victim impact statement.
While being interviewed by an investigator, Gray , pictured in court on Friday, lso told police that voices in his head were ‘egging him on’
The four people who were killed in the Georgia school shooting. From left: teacher Richard Aspinwall, 39; teacher Cristina Irimie, 53; Mason Schermerhorn, 14; and Christian Angulo, 14
In a separate portion of the interview that was played to the court, an investigator asked Gray what he thought should happen to him.
Gray responded: ‘Honestly, I think I should be put in a mental health unit.’
He added that he believed this should happen ‘for my safety and the safety of the people around me’ until he could get on ‘some sort of medication,’ CNN reported.
The teen told authorities that the shooting he had perpetrated was ‘beyond horrible.’
‘I have no words even for what I’ve done, and it’s absolutely horrible that the parents have to go through the s*** that I’ve caused unknowingly,’ Gray added.
Still, he did not appear to find a clear motivation for his actions, expressing ‘shock’ and ‘confusion’ in the interview.
In the interview, Gray also expressed that he had become ‘obsessed’ with Nikolas Cruz, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter in Parkland, Florida, who killed 17 people.
Gray said that this obsession happened ‘on an emotional level I could understand the trauma and stuff that he went through.’
He also admitted to having made an account on a jail messaging app to message Cruz about a week and a half before the shooting, but did not receive a response.
Investigators found a shrine dedicated to Cruz inside Gray’s bedroom.
Gray explained that he had ‘no words even for what I’ve done,’ as he insisted that he should be placed into a ‘mental health unit’ (Photo of Gray in December 2025)
Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was convicted by a jury of 29 counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, in March
Gray used a SIG Sauer M400 rifle to carry out the shooting. He told police that he had ‘just grabbed whatever was closest.’
Gray revealed that he had told his dad to hide his guns days before the shooting happened.
‘And he did but I don’t know how I found them,’ Gray told police.
The teen said that he had been ‘thinking about it for years,’ as he discussed his mental struggles.
‘It’s only gotten worse,’ Gray said. ‘I finally just now get to the point where I wanted to reach out and get help.’
He was referring to his father, Colin Gray, making a doctor’s appointment for him, adding, ‘We were so close.’
In March, the father was convicted by a jury of 29 counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.
His sentencing is set to begin on July 30 in Barrow County, according to AtlantaNewsFirst.
Meanwhile, Gray’s sentencing hearing will continue on Monday. Prosecutors will present further evidence, while the defense will call witnesses to testify.
Gray will also have a chance to speak as the judge determines whether he is sentenced to life with or without the possibility of parole.