WINDER, Ga. — The sentencing hearing of the Apalachee High School shooter is scheduled to continue Wednesday morning.
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Gray, 16, pleaded guilty to the rampage Friday. He was a 14-year-old Freshman, at the school in September 2024 when he carried out the mass shooting. A Barrow County Grand Jury indicted Gray, officially charging him with 55 crimes in October 2024.
Four people died. Two of them were teachers: Ricky Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie.
Two were students: Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
Three other students who were shot survived. Shrapnel hit two more students. A teacher, David Phenix, was shot. He survived after another teacher, Valerie Lancaster, rendered aid.
At least 10 more students in a classroom where Gray opened fire survived.
The trial immediately moved to the sentencing phase in which the judge will decide the punishment.
Tuesday was day two of that sentencing hearing.
The day began with Forensic Psychologist Dr. Kevin Richards testifying that Gray’s chaotic upbringing caused anxiety and depression.
“There was a lot of moving around,” said Richards. “A lot of chaos. The family moved a large number of times.”
He said the parents were financially irresponsible. He noted some abuse by the dad, drug use by both parents.
“I believe there was a lot of abuse, neglect, transition and chaos,” said Richards.
He said the parents did not send Gray to school regularly. He had no friends.
“He already started out as a kind of an unusual kid,” said Richards.
Richards said Gray did not hang out with other children. That led to him being isolated.
Richards said Gray was also spending a lot of time on communication platforms online.
That’s where Richards said he became part of what’s known as the True Crime Community, TCC.
Richards said Gray became focused on people who do mass shootings to the point of being obsessed.
“He was a lonely, dysfunctional kid who was anxious, paranoid, depressed and immersed in this dysfunctional world with people obsessed with school shootings,” said Richards.
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Prosecutors called Peter Smith to the stand Tuesday. Smith researches extremist groups. He told the judge this True Crime Community intersects with Neo-Nazi groups.
“At it’s most extreme and violent, it glorifies and encourages mass violence,” said Smith.
He said those who take it to the extreme mimic past mass shooters when committing their own crimes. He said that do that for notoriety and social standing with others in the TCC.
“There is a very clear problem of individuals who are part of these communities who progress toward violence or are encouraged by others in it to carry out those attacks,” said Smith.
He said they leave behind signals and signs of past attacks for that community.
Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said it’s a way for the shooter to gain fame within that community.
An Investigator with the District Attorney’s Office, Ashley Gilleland, collected messages Gray sent to others in the online community as evidence.
She told the judge Gray wrote a letter to the person responsible for the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., Nikolas Cruz.
The prison he’s serving his sentence in labeled it as harassment and returned it to Gray.
“It was labeled harassment and returned to sender,” said Gilleland.
She said a note Gray wrote indicated he hoped to end up in the same prison as Cruz.
After the Apalachee shooting, Gray called his mother from jail.
Prosecutors played a recording of the call in court.
During the call, she tells Gray the True Crime Community is discussing him online.
She said someone drew a picture of him and posted it.
“Oh! Fan art!” said the mother.
“What is it? Me?” asked Gray.
“Oh my God! It looks so awesome,” she told him.
He responded, “I love this community so much.”
Richards, the Forensic Psychologist, said there is a chance Gray could be rehabilitated and considered for parole based on his age.
“It’s going to be a big challenge,” said Richards.
The District Attorney pointed out that Gray has lied about his mental state before, and could lie during parole hearings.
The psychologist said a doctor would likely catch on to that.
Day three of testimony will begin with Gilleland on the stand. Then, Defense Attorney Charlton Allen plans to call a jail counselor who spoke with Gray and Gray’s maternal Grandmother to the stand.
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