Colt Gray, the teenager charged in the Apalachee High School shooting, made a court appearance on Tuesday, presenting a markedly different image from the one captured in his initial booking photo.

At the time of his arrest, the then-14-year-old Gray was pictured with shoulder-length, dyed blond hair. However, in court on Tuesday, the now 15-year-old appeared with a more polished look, featuring slicked-back dark hair, glasses, a collared shirt, a quarter-zip sweater, and khaki pants.

Gray entered the Barrow County Superior Court, standing before Judge Nicholas Primm in Winder, Georgia, for a scheduled hearing on December 9, 2025. The courtroom proceedings were documented by Jason Getz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution via an Associated Press pool arrangement.

His attorney, Aisha Broderick, who took on Gray’s case in October, informed the judge that a medical assessment of Gray remains incomplete, as reported by CBS News. Broderick emphasized that the evaluation, anticipated to conclude by February’s end, is crucial for shaping the defense strategy. The court has scheduled Gray’s next hearing for March 18, 2026, according to CBS News.

Gray faces serious charges, accused of orchestrating a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia on September 4, 2024. The incident resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to nine more. Among those killed were educators Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, alongside students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14 years old.

From left to right: Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were killed at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, along with Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, officials say. (Fox News)

In October 2024, Gray was indicted on 55 criminal offenses, including four counts of felony murder in the shooting. His father, Colin Gray, was also indicted for 29 counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.

The older Gray faces up to 180 years in prison if convicted, while his son could get up to life in prison, according to the New York Post, which noted that Colt, who is a minor, is not eligible for the death penalty.

The suspected shooter was identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student. (The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office)

In 2023, prior to the shooting, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office visited the Gray household multiple times and had flagged the younger Gray as a person of interest leading up to the shooting after a May 2023 report of an online threat to shoot up a middle school that he attended. Police investigated the threat and spoke with the father and son on May 21, 2023, at their home.