HAMILTON, OHIO: The Latest on the school shooting near Middletown, Ohio (all times local):
11:45 a.m.
An Ohio sheriff says the 14-year-old suspect in a school shooting apparently was carrying a handgun all morning before he jumped up in the cafeteria and opened fire.
Sheriff Richard Jones says it’s believed that the youth obtained a .380-caliber gun from a family member, but the investigation is continuing. He also repeated that authorities also believe they know a motive in the Monday lunchtime shooting, but aren’t releasing any details to avoid jeopardizing the case.
Jones says as terrifying as the shooting was, it’s a relief that no lives were lost. He says it’s the first school shooting in memory in Butler County in southwest Ohio, although there have been repeated school lockdowns because of threats in recent months.
He calls on school officials throughout the counties to recognize that such shootings can happen anywhere, and to take action to be sure their schools are protected.
The youth’s attorney denied the charges Tuesday in juvenile court.
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11 a.m.
The sheriff of the Ohio county in where four students were injured in a school shooting wants the 14-year-old suspect prosecuted in adult court.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones tells The Associated Press that while that might sound harsh, he believes it’s important to “send a message” to students that using guns isn’t like playing a video game.
He says he is making the recommendation to the prosecutor’s office, which hasn’t indicated whether it will seek to move the case from juvenile court. The youth’s attorney entered a denial of charges for him Tuesday morning and he remains in juvenile detention in Hamilton.
Jones says besides the students who were wounded or otherwise injured, many students have likely been traumatized by Monday’s shootings.
He also is renewing his call for all schools to have police resource officers, as Madison Local Schools do, and for allowing specially trained school staff to be armed.
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10:30 a.m.
Officials at an Ohio school where two students were shot say classes will resume Wednesday, and that students and parents can walk through the school Tuesday evening in preparation for their return.
Madison Local Schools Superintendent Curtis Philpot says crisis counselors will be available and that school staff including bus drivers and teachers will pay extra attention to make students feel comfortable about going back to school, two days after Monday’s lunchtime shooting that resulted in four students being hurt.
He says there will be extra staff available Wednesday in the cafeteria where the shooting took place.
Philpot says the “No. 1 priority” is to make students feel safe and comfortable.
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9:30 a.m.
A 14-year-old boy accused of shooting students at an Ohio school will remain in juvenile detention under a magistrate’s instructions.
He’s charged with attempted murder, felonious assault, inducing panic and making terroristic threats. His attorney entered a denial of the charges Tuesday in Butler County juvenile court.
The boy’s ankles were shackled as he sat silently during the brief hearing. He kept his head down, reading the complaint. He was ordered to remain in custody pending a hearing April 5.
His attorney and supporters declined to comment afterward.
Authorities say the boy fired at students Monday in a Madison Local Schools cafeteria. Two students were shot, and two others were hurt. The injuries weren’t considered life-threatening.
It’s unclear whether prosecutors might seek to move the case to adult court.
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8:30 a.m.
A recording indicates a 911 caller reporting a shooting at a southwest Ohio school immediately identified the suspect by name.
Breathing heavily, the unidentified caller gives the name of a 14-year-old boy and tells a dispatcher, “He just pulled out his gun and started shooting.”
The scene Monday in a Madison Local Schools cafeteria left four students hurt. Two were shot. Investigators say the other two might have been injured by shrapnel or while running away. The injuries weren’t considered life-threatening.
Sheriff Richard Jones said he’s aware of a motive but wasn’t ready to release it.
The suspect was caught nearby and was expected to appear Tuesday morning in Butler County juvenile court. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has an attorney.
The school district canceled classes and activities Tuesday.
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7 a.m.
An Ohio school district is closed and all extracurricular activities cancelled as authorities investigate a shooting by a 14-year-old boy that injured four students, including two who were hit by gunfire.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones in southwestern Ohio says he’s aware of a motive in Monday’s shooting at Madison Local Schools but isn’t ready to release it.
Authorities say the boy pulled out a gun in a school cafeteria and opened fire, hitting two students, and then ran from the school.
The boy threw the weapon down and was apprehended nearby with the help of a police dog.
Two other Madison Local Schools students also were injured, possibly from shrapnel or from running away.
None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.