After the deadly shooting at a high school in the United States, the juvenile suspect is charged with the seriousness of the crime as an adult. The 15-year-old is said to have shot four of his classmates – according to the public prosecutor’s office with intent.
A 15-year-old is said to have opened fire at his high school in Oxford, Michigan, killing at least three of his classmates.
Bild: picture alliance/dpa/Detroit Free Press via AP | Eric Seals
The suspected gunman at Oxford High School, Michigan, recorded a video about his murder plans the night before the crime, according to police. In the video, the 15-year-old talks about shooting students at his school the next day, Oakland County Sheriff’s Officer Tim Willis said Wednesday at the suspect’s first appearance before a magistrate. Judge Nancy Carniak ordered the suspect’s transfer from a juvenile facility to a county jail, where he remains isolated from other inmates. The accused was connected via video.
Teenager (15) opens fire at US school in Michigan – at least four dead
Prosecutor Karen McDonald previously announced that the 15-year-old suspect would be charged as an adult. The tenth grader was charged with, among other things, terrorism resulting in death and quadruple first-degree murder, she said. Under Michigan law, juveniles could be charged as adults with such particularly serious crimes. “First-degree murder is the most serious of all these crimes.”
After examining the evidence, she was sure that it was a deliberate act. She could not comment on the details for procedural reasons. The prosecutor said she promised the father of one of the victims “that I would treat this case as if it were my own children.”
Gunman in custody after shootout left dead and wounded
The shooter opened fire on Tuesday at Oxford High School, north of Detroit. Four of his classmates, between the ages of 14 and 17, were killed. Six other students and a teacher were injured by gunfire. The perpetrator was arrested. His motive is unclear. According to the police, he refused to testify.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard said Wednesday police had no information about the suspect before the crime. However, it was later learned that school representatives had been in contact with the student the day before and on the day of the crime “because they thought his behavior in the classroom was questionable”. The accused’s parents were still in the high school for a personal meeting with school officials on the morning of the crime. “The content of this meeting is obviously part of the investigation.” Bouchard said the gunman fired more than 30 shots Tuesday. He had 18 unused cartridges with him when he was arrested. Police said they had seized a handgun belonging to the suspect’s father. It is still unclear how the perpetrator got hold of the weapon, which he had acquired just a few days ago. Bouchard said charges could not be ruled out against the parents.
Parents of Michigan school gunman arrested
The parents of the suspected teenage gunman at a Michigan school have been arrested. “The two fugitives were located and arrested. A compliment from the Detroit Police Department,” the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook on December 4, 2021. James and Jennifer C. were discovered on the first floor of a factory building in Detroit, a police spokesman told CNN. The New York Times quoted Detroit Police Chief James E. White as saying that the arrest was uneventful. The police got a tip that the two were hiding in the building.
According to prosecutor Karen McDonald, James and Jennifer C. are each charged with four counts of manslaughter. According to CNN, the parents bought the murder weapon, gave their underage son access to the gun and ignored warnings. Charges against the parents of a perpetrator of such violence in schools are very rare, but in this case the facts are “outrageous,” she said.
According to the police, the 15-year-old killed four students on November 30 with the gun that his father had acquired just days earlier. He also injured six teenagers and a teacher. The tenth grader is charged with, among other things, terrorism resulting in death and quadruple murder. Regarding the terrorism charges, McDonald said that in Michigan, the prerequisite for this was an act resulting in death against a community of people.
Parents of the suspected shooter have pleaded not guilty
The parents of the 15-year-old man accused of killing four people at a Michigan school have pleaded not guilty. James and Jennifer C. were just as “shaken” by the events as everyone else, one of their lawyers said in court on Saturday. The judge in charge set bail at $500,000 each, in accordance with the prosecutor’s request. In the event of release, they would have to wear a GPS monitor at all times and meet other requirements, it said.
The defense had suggested bail of up to $100,000. However, prosecutor Karen McDonald said bail should be set as high as possible given the seriousness of the allegations, the burden of proof and the alleged risk of absconding. The “terrible” act of the son traumatized the whole community. “These two individuals could have prevented it,” McDonald said. “They had every reason to know he was dangerous and they gave him a gun and didn’t safe it.”
Gun violence in the US out of control
In the USA Deadly incidents occur again and again because school shooters open fire. Firearms are relatively easy to obtain in the United States. Stricter gun laws usually fail because of the Republicans in Congress and the powerful gun lobby. US President Joe Biden has promised measures to curb gun violence, but so far without concrete results.
Already read? Attempted murder in three counts! Sixth grader shoots up at middle school
US President Joe Biden mourns victims of school shooting
Biden offered his condolences to the families of the victims at Oxford High School. “My thoughts are with the families who are going through the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one,” he said during a visit to the state of Minnesota. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the crime “terrible.” She shared: “We have a responsibility to do what we can to protect one another and we have the means to reduce gun violence. No one should be afraid to go to school, work, a house of worship or even be in to go to my own house.”
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loc / news.de / dpa