In about a dozen victim impact statements, a few overarching themes came through at Colt Gray’s sentencing hearing:
Colt could have had friends: The teen had only attended Apalachee High School for a few days before he carried out the shooting in September 2024. Several speakers said he could have made friends if he had just given the school a chance.
“I have no doubt in my mind, if Colt had actually attended school, as he should have, that Mason would have befriended him,” said Breanna Schermerhorn, the mother of victim Mason Schermerhorn.
Empathy for him: The trial of Colt’s father, Colin Gray, revealed the teen’s tumultuous upbringing, which included several moves and evictions, his mother’s struggles with drug addiction, and his father’s inability to enroll him in school. Several speakers noted their empathy for his difficult childhood.
“He is a product of two people that did not deserve the privilege of bringing life into this world,” Mason Schermerhorn’s oldest sister Lilianah Ahmed said.
Mourning what was lost: Most of all, the families mourned the loss of their loved ones, and the survivors mourned their loss of innocence.
“He brought kindness, laughter, and strength into our lives, and his absence is felt every single day,” said Shayna Aspinwall, the wife of victim Richard Aspinwall. “The grief of losing him is constant.”