Lawyer of Ohio boy accused of school shooting denies charges

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/01/lawyer-of-ohio-boy-school-shooting-denies-charges

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The lawyer for an Ohio boy accused of a school shooting denied charges of attempted murder on Tuesday, a day after four students were injured, two by gunfire, at the boy’s junior high school.

Sheriff Richard Jones of Butler County said he is aware of a motive in Monday’s shooting, at Madison Local Schools in south-western Ohio, but is not ready to release any details.

“It’s a terrible feeling anytime something like that goes down,” Jones said, describing his reaction when word came of the shooting about 11.20am on Monday.

Jones said the 14-year-old was a student, who was charged preliminarily with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault, inducing panic and making terrorist threats.

The boy’s attorney entered a denial of charges on Tuesday in juvenile court, where a magistrate decided he will remain in juvenile detention until a 5 April hearing. With shackled ankles and his head down, the boy sat silently during Tuesday’s court appearance.

His attorney and supporters declined to comment afterward.

Students were eating in the cafeteria when the shooting happened, Jones said. Afterward, classmates described a chaotic scene where they were not sure what was happening at first.

Thirteen-year-old Shelby Kinnin said she heard “a couple of bangs” and realized she was near the shooter.

“I didn’t really know it was gunshots until I looked over and a kid was grabbing his leg and falling over,” she said.

The students who were shot were 14 and 15 years old and were taken to a hospital where they were in stable condition, investigators said. A 14-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl also were injured, though it was unclear how and the injuries were not considered life-threatening, Jones said.

The boy ran, threw the weapon down and was apprehended nearby with the help of a police dog, officers said.

A sheriff’s deputy stationed in the school had just been in the cafeteria, Jones said. The suspect apparently stood up, moved toward the door and then began shooting, said Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer.

All other students were safe, according to the school website. The school, which had practiced for such an event, immediately went into lockdown, said district spokeswoman AJ Huff.

“We would first like to update everyone on the crisis situation in our district today by thanking our students and staff for immediately reacting to the event in exactly the way we have practiced and planned,” a district statement said late on Monday.

School was cancelled on Tuesday along with extracurricular events, although staff was expected to report to plan a response once students returned.