US school shooting: 15-year-old suspect charged as an adult
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Dec, 2021 12:59 PM
New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) The suspect in a Michigan school shooting will face charges of terrorism and first-degree murder following a rampage that left four students dead and seven injured.
Prosecutors on Wednesday charged the Oxford High School student, who is 15 years old as an adult, the BBC reported.
He has pleaded not guilty. Police are yet to identify a motive in the attack.
The victims were named as Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Hana St Juliana, 14, and Justin Shilling, 17.
Announcing the charges Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said her office had "a mountain of digital evidence" to show the suspect had planned the attack "well before the incident".
One such instance is a video of the suspect the night before the shooting, in which he discusses killing students.
"This isn't even a close call," she said. "This was not an impulsive act."
She added that it was "absolutely premeditated".
McDonald said the teen will face one count of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm, with further charges likely as the investigation unfolds.
The suspect will be transferred from a juvenile detention centre to the local county jail, where he will be held without bond.
The teenager has refused to speak with investigators on the instructions of his family.
At a later news conference, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said charging the suspect as an adult was "the most appropriate" action.
The sheriff stressed that the teenager had never been on the radar of law enforcement or the school. He also added there was no evidence the suspect had been bullied by his peers.
"There is nothing that he could have faced that would warrant senseless, absolutely brutal violence on other kids," said Bouchard.
He noted that the suspect's parents had been called to the school hours before the shooting "for behaviour in the classroom that was concerning".
Investigators have found the suspect loaded his firearm -- purchased by his father on Friday -- in the bathroom and then walked through the hallway firing more than 30 shots from the weapon.
Bouchard said the suspect appeared to fire indiscriminately during the attack at the school of around 1,700 students.
Tate Myre reportedly tried to disarm the shooter, and more than 75,000 people have signed a petition calling for the school to rename its football stadium after Tate, reported the BBC.
The 16-year-old, who played on the football team, died in a police officer's car on the way to hospital.
Madisyn and Hana also died on Tuesday, while Justin was confirmed dead on Wednesday.
Among those admitted to hospital, a 17-year-old female student remains in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The couple — and millions of other people vaccinated through a U.N.-backed effort — could find themselves barred from entering many European and other countries because those nations don't recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel.
Top officials at the World Health Organization say there's not enough evidence to show that third doses of coronavirus vaccines are needed and appealed Monday for the scarce shots to be shared with poor countries who have yet to immunize their people instead of being used by rich countries as boosters.
The Transportation Department will propose that airlines be required to refund fees on checked baggage if the bags aren't delivered to passengers quickly enough.
Americans enjoying newfound liberty are expected to travel and gather for cookouts, fireworks and family reunions over the Fourth of July weekend in numbers not seen since pre-pandemic days.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Surfside, Florida, on Thursday to visit with the families of victims of the collapsed Miami-area condominium tower, according to the White House.
Pakistan has for long completely rejected assertions of having Taliban footprints on its soil. However, incumbent Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has admitted that Islamabad not only hosts families of the Taliban, but it also is aware of fighters getting medical treatment in the country.
