Colt Gray, suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting, appears in court for the first time

Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray appeared in Barrow County Superior Court on Friday. Mass shooting of the week.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Gray was “charged with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting” at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, but the judge said he would not face the death penalty.

“I want to bring to your attention that murder is the maximum penalty. For each count, the maximum penalty is death, life imprisonment without parole, or life imprisonment with the possibility of parole,” Judge Currie Mingledorff II originally told Gray at the hearing.

Colin Gray, father of the suspect in the Georgia High School shooting, is charged with murder, manslaughter and child abuse.

Colt Gray, charged as an adult with four counts of murder, leaves the Barrow County Courthouse after his initial appearance in the Wednesday shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, Pool)

However, the judge quickly retracted his statement and stated that the death penalty was not the maximum penalty for Gray.

Mingledorff said no bail is currently being requested for Gray.

Gray did not enter a plea during the appearance.

A lawyer representing Gray also told the judge: “Yesterday afternoon there was a development that requires our firm to appoint replacement counsel and arrangements have already been made to do so.”

Videos from Apalachee High School show weapons and ordered evacuations

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Currie Mingledorff II speaks during Colt Gray’s initial appearance at the Barrow County Courthouse. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, Pool)

“I have already explained this to Mr. Gray. A replacement attorney will be appointed by the end of today,” she added.

The suspect’s father, Colin Gray, appeared in court shortly after his son for a separate hearing.

Colin Gray was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two counts of Second degree murderfour counts of manslaughter and eight counts of child abuse, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

“For the murder counts, the maximum penalty for each count is up to 30 years in prison,” said Judge Currie Mingledorff II. “For the manslaughter counts, the maximum penalty for each of those offenses is 10 years in prison.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

People attend a vigil at Jug Tavern Park following a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouveau)

“For the eight counts of cruelty to children, the statutory maximum sentence for each of those eight counts is ten years in prison, for a maximum total sentence of 180 years in prison for the counts you are currently charged with,” the judge concluded.

Gray could be seen rocking back and forth in his chair after the judge’s speech. The preliminary hearing in his case, like that of his son, will take place on December 4.