Authorities in Kentucky are planning to charge the 15-year-old student who opened fire on classmates at Marshall County High School on Tuesday with murder, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
‘The plan is to certify him as an adult,’ said Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnall, who is prosecuting the case.
Because the suspect is still considered a juvenile, his name has not been released, NBC News reported.
A grand jury is scheduled to hear the case on February 13.
If the grand jury decides that murder charges are warranted and that the suspect should be tried as an adult, ‘at that point, it becomes a public case,’ Darnall said.
Police were seen leading a teen, believed to be the 15-year-old shooter, away in handcuffs after he opened fire on classmates at Marshall County High School in Kentucky on Tuesday morning. Authorities say the teen will likely be charged with murder as an adult
‘The plan is to certify him as an adult,’ said Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnall (above), who is prosecuting the case. Because the suspect is still considered a juvenile, his name has not been released
President Donald Trump tweeted about the tragedy on Wednesday
The suspect is likely to face a slew of charges, including two counts of murder and multiple counts of assault.
President Donald Trump tweeted about the tragedy on Wednesday.
‘Earlier today, I spoke with Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky regarding yesterday’s shooting at Marshall County High School.
‘My thoughts and prayers are with Bailey Holt, Preston Cope, their families, and all of the wounded victims who are in recovery. We are with you!’
Two teenagers, both 15 years of age, were killed and 17 others were injured in the 11th school shooting to take place since New Year’s Day.
A 15-year-old girl was killed by the gunman who also shot her boyfriend in the face and injured 17 others in the terrifying shooting spree.
Bailey Holt died at the scene after the lone shooter opened fire with a handgun in a packed atrium at Marshall County High School at 8am on Tuesday.
Her classmate Preston Cope, also 15, was shot in the head by the unnamed attacker and later died of his injuries in a Nashville hospital.
A special needs boy who was among those injured in the Kentucky high school shooting had been giving out hugs and high fives to his classmates when the gunfire erupted.
Daniel Austin, 17, was shot in his right arm when the suspect opened fire on students.
The teenager, who has a form of autism, had been in the busy common area in the center of the high school where several hallways meet and children gather before classes.
Students Brooklyn Boyce, left, and Katlyn Gamble cry as they hold hands with other Marshall County High School classmates during a prayer vigil for their classmates on Wednesday
Two students hug after a prayer circle at Paducah Tilghman High School on Wednesday
Students at Paducah Tilghman High School held a prayer circle on Wednesday to pray for the victims of the Marshall County High School shooting
A bouquet of flowers and balloon sit below a sign outside the Marshall County Board of Education in Benton
A sign displays ‘Marshall Strong’ at Sharpe Elementary in Marshall County on Wednesday
Daniel’s prognosis is still unclear but his brother posted a screenshot of them Face-timing soon after the surgery, saying: ‘Look at this Superman. God thank you! He’s through surgery!’
His mother Andrea Austin told CNN on Tuesday that he might need to have his arm amputated.
The gunman’s shooting spree, which took place in a busy a common area where students were gathering before classes, only ended when he ran out of bullets.
No motive for the shooting has been released.
His stepsister took to Facebook after the shooting, claiming he was ‘not a monster’ and that he doesn’t deserve the death penalty. She added that he was bullied and his parents had recently divorced.
Tributes poured in for the two slain teenagers as classmates came to terms with the latest mass-shooting on American soil.
‘Bailey Holt and Preston Cope were two great people, I have never heard one negative thing come from their mouths,’ fellow classmate Gabbi Byers said.
‘I’m glad we made the memories we did with each other. It hurts knowing we won’t be able to share the laughs anymore.’
Bailey was described by friends as ‘always so happy’ and an ‘angel’. Her boyfriend remains in hospital after a bullet tore through his right cheek bone and passed through his ear.
Meanwhile Preston is being remembered for his love of baseball and positive outlook on life.
The shooter’s family have also taken to social media to defend the killer, saying he was sweet and smart. His stepsister described him as a ‘young boy who was always laughing, smart and loved chemistry’.
‘I don’t care that his dad and my mother got divorced last year and I haven’t been able to see him much since then,’ she said. ‘He is my family. He isn’t a monster.’
‘He doesn’t deserve to die like I’ve seen so many people say. He is a kid who is hurting.’
The case against the suspect will begin in juvenile court, which is closed to the public and the records sealed under Kentucky law. Prosecutors will request a judge move it to adult court, at which point the details will no longer be secret. A grand jury is scheduled to meet on February 13.
The teen is being held at a regional juvenile jail in Paducah – about a half-hour away from the high school.
In addition to the two students killed in Tuesday’s shooting, 14 others were shot and four children were injured as they ran from the gunfire.
Five students remained in critical condition in various hospitals late Tuesday.
Bailey Holt, 15, was one of two teenagers killed when a classmate opened fire with a handgun in a packed atrium at Marshall County High School in Kentucky at 8am on Tuesday
The 15-year-old died at the scene and the gunman also shot Bailey’s boyfriend in the face
Bailey Holt (left), 15, was one of two students who suffered fatal gunshot wounds in Tuesday’s shooting rampage at a Kentucky high school. Preston Cope (right), also 15, was rushed to hospital but died of a gunshot wound to the head
Daniel Austin, 17, (right) was shot in his arm when a teen gunman opened fire on students in a packed atrium at Marshall County High School on Tuesday morning. He is pictured above with his brother Shane (left)
Shocked students and parents have described the terrifying moment the shooter opened fire before classes began, forcing nearly 100 children to run out of the school and seek safety.
Ethan Hufford, a 15-year-old freshman at Marshall County High, ran into the gym when the shooting started in the common area just before class. According to his mother, Misty Hufford, he ran into the gym next to the commons and out of the building through a side door.
She told WSMV-TV that as he was running away from the building, he called her to come pick him up.
‘I know when he called me, he said, ‘Mom there’s been a shooting’. I asked him if he was okay, and he said, ‘I’m running’.’
Morgan Green was in the commons area when the gunfire erupted, according to her mother, Misty Green.
‘My daughter was sitting there in the commons area and hear the ‘pop, pop, pop’ and initially got down, and then just realized what was going on, so they took out running out of the building as fast as they could,’ she said.
‘Initially she didn’t know what it was, but then she realized it was a gun and all of the other students realized what it was, and they all just got out of the building as quickly as they could.
‘Teachers were grabbing kids up and helping them get into safe places and helping them get outside and get to a safe location.’
Students and community members hold hands in prayer before classes at Paducah Tilghman High School in Paducah on Wednesday for the victims of the nearby shooting
The gathering in Paducah was held for the victims of the Marshall County High School shooting on Tuesday
Parishioners light candles during a prayer vigil for students killed and injured at Life in Christ Church in Marion, Kentucky on Tuesday
Students are seen above attending the prayer vigil at Life in Christ Church in Marion
Alexandria Caporali, 16, said she was eating breakfast when she heard a shot, turned and saw the teenager with the gun.
She knew him as a quiet boy who played music and always seemed happy. After the first shot, she said he seemed to hesitate.
‘It was one right after another – bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,’ she said.
‘No one screamed. It was almost completely silent as people just ran.
‘He just ran out of ammo and couldn’t do anything else. He took off running and tried to get away from the officers.’
Lexie Waymon and Baleigh Culp, both 16, were also in the room and said they had been laughing and talking about makeup and the homecoming basketball game in the moments before the gunfire.
They heard a bang and imagined something like a heavy book hitting the floor.
‘That’s what I expected it to be,’ Culp said. ‘Until I saw a body drop on the ground and the bangs continued. There was bullets flying everywhere.’
Waymon said she was initially paralyzed by fear.
‘I couldn’t move. I got up and tried to run, but I fell. I heard someone hit the ground. It was so close to me,’ she said.
Waymon said she could see only blackness for a full minute before she came to and started to run. She didn’t stop running until she came to a McDonald’s more than a mile away from the school.
Her friend Culp was running towards the highway when a man reached out from the door of a business and pulled her to safety inside. Between 50 to 100 students who had fled the school were also huddled inside.
An unidentified 15-year-old male student methodically opened fire on his classmates in a crowded atrium at Marshall High School
Students console each other during the prayer vigil on Tuesday
Parents described the moments they learned of the shooting in Kentucky on Tuesday
Stewart Walker is seen above attending the prayer vigil at Life in Christ Church
Patrick Adamson (right), youth director and praise leader at Briensburg Baptist Church, comforts two people prior to a prayer vigil at Briensburg Baptist Church near Benton
A man lays his hand on the shoulder of a loved one as a girl lays her head on the opposite side while attending a prayer vigil at Briensburg Baptist Church
Police investigators above responded to the scene of the shooting at the high school
The school was placed in lock down and the entrances to the school were blocked off by first responders
The school was placed in lock down and the entrances to the school were blocked off by first responders.
A half-dozen ambulances and numerous police cars converged on the school. Officers in black fatigues carrying assault rifles showed up as well.
Cars lined up on both sides of an adjacent road as parents desperately tried to find their children.
Many students fled the school in cars, while others ran down ran down the highway for more than a mile.
The mother of one of the students evacuated from the school described the chilling moment she helped the shooter’s mom after she learned her son was responsible.
Heather Adams told WKMS that her son had already texted her to say he was safe so she was trying to help other parents locate their children.
‘I noticed a lady that was distraught and couldn’t find her child. I was texting with my son asking ‘Do you know where this child is? Is this child safe?’,’ Adams said.
‘I stayed with her while we waited. That was the shooter’s mother.
‘I held her hair while she threw up… She needed an ambulance. She was going into shock. And I couldn’t get an ambulance there. I got yelled at by the police for calling for an ambulance… We got a firefighter’s coat to put on her.’
AUTISTIC BOY SHOT IN THE ARM WHILE GIVING OUT HUGS
Daniel Austin, 17, was shot in his right arm when a 15-year-old boy opened fire on students, killing two and injuring 18 others, in a packed atrium at Marshall County High School on Tuesday morning.
The teenager, who has a form of autism, had been in the busy common area in the center of the high school where several hallways meet and children gather before classes.
His brother Shane Austin told Local 6 that Daniel was listening the music and giving his classmate’s high fives at the time.
Daniel Austin is pictured above on the right with his brother Shane
Shane, who wasn’t at the school when the shooting broke out, managed to speak to his brother before he was airlifted to a hospital to undergo surgery.
His brother Shane Austin posted a screenshot of them Face-timing soon after the surgery
Daniel’s prognosis is still unclear but his brother posted a screenshot of them Face-timing soon after the surgery, saying: ‘Look at this Superman. God thank you! He’s through surgery!’
His mother Andrea Austin told CNN on Tuesday that he might need to have his arm amputated.
The boy’s parents had been calling his cell phone repeatedly until someone in the emergency department picked up and told them he was injured.
Daniel’s brother urged others to pray for his recovery.
‘My brother means the world to me. Will everyone please pray for him he’s being so strong I love him to death and just for him to be hurt in this awful event is killing me inside because he’s a strong funny amazing person I just don’t get how anyone could do this to my little brother,’ he wrote.
‘I love you Daniel Austin you are going to be strong through this like everything else and I promise I’m going to take you to toys r us after this.’
Daniel, who has a form of autism, had been in the busy common area in the center of the high school where several hallways meet and children gather before classes
Terrified students were later reunited with their parents following the deadly shooting
Kentuckty State Police Lt. Michael Webb speaks during a media briefing at the Marshall County Board of Education following the shooting
There was a heavy police presence at the school and multiple ambulances and emergency helicopters were on scene to treat the injured
Mitchell Garland, who rushed outside of his business when he heard about the shooting, described seeing the students flee the school.
‘They was running and crying and screaming,’ he said. ‘They was just kids running down the highway. They were trying to get out of there.’
Garland said he made sure the students were safe. He said his own son, a 16-year-old sophomore, jumped into someone’s car and sped away before making his way to his dad’s office.
‘Everyone is just scared. Just terrified for their kids,’ Garland said. ‘We’re a small town and we know a lot of the kids.’
Savana Smothers, the school’s assistant girls’ soccer coach, scrambled to account for all of her players. All the girls were safe, she told The Associated Press in a Facebook message.
She also said she was trying to get a head count for all the students who attend her church.
‘You just never think this will happen in a small town like ours,’ she said.
The school was placed in lock down and the entrances to the school were blocked off by first responders
The school was placed in lock down and the entrances to the school were blocked off by first responders
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin confirmed that the suspect in the fatal shooting had been taken into custody
Federal authorities joined state and local law enforcement in responding to the shooting. Gov. Matt Bevin ran out a side door at the Capitol in Frankfort, saying he was headed to the school as well.
Dusty Kornbacher, who owns a nearby floral shop, said the scene outside the school was chaotic with parents and students rushing around trying to find each other.
‘All the parking lots were full with parents and kids hugging each other and crying and nobody really knowing what was going on,’ he said.
Governor Matt Bevin issued a statement describing the shooting as a ‘tremendous tragedy’.
‘It is unbelievable that this would happen in a small, close-knit community like Marshall County,’ he said.
‘As there is still much unknown, I encourage people to love on each other at this time. Do not speculate, but come alongside each in support and allow the facts to come out.’
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted: ‘Closely tracking reports of the tragedy in Benton, #Kentucky at Marshall County High School and my thoughts are with the students, teachers, faculty, and the entire community. Thank you to the first responders who continue to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
‘This regrettable shutdown reminded all of us that, in United States #Senate, brinksmanship and hostage-taking simply do not work.’
The school has an enrollment of 1,146 students in grades 10 through 12. Marshall County has a population of about 31,000 people.
Parents were being turned away from the school as students and staff remained locked in classrooms on Tuesday morning
High school students were being bused to North Marshall Middle School so they could be safely picked up by their parents
The shooting broke out at Marshall County High School in Caldwell on Tuesday at about 8am