\n In about a dozen victim impact statements, a few overarching themes came through at Colt Gray\u2019s sentencing hearing:\n <\/p>\n
\n 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.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI have no doubt in my mind, if Colt had actually attended school, as he should have, that Mason would have befriended him,\u201d said Breanna Schermerhorn<\/a>, the mother of victim Mason Schermerhorn.\n <\/p>\n \n Empathy for him: The trial of Colt\u2019s father, Colin Gray, revealed the teen\u2019s tumultuous upbringing<\/a>, which included several moves and evictions, his mother\u2019s struggles with drug addiction, and his father\u2019s inability to enroll him in school. Several speakers noted their empathy for his difficult childhood.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cHe is a product of two people that did not deserve the privilege of bringing life into this world,\u201d Mason Schermerhorn\u2019s oldest sister Lilianah Ahmed said.\n <\/p>\n \n Mourning what was lost: Most of all, the families mourned the loss of their loved ones, and the survivors mourned their loss of innocence.\n <\/p>\n