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U.S. NEWSWednesday 2 March 2016

Boy’s hearing gives no clue on Ohio school shooting motive

DAN SEWELL fered no clues about the be “overcome” by the situ- are very concerned and April 5. Perry and the boy’s
Associated Press motive that investigators ation. saddened about them. supporters declined to
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — A say they know. Attorney Ed Perry also tells They declined to talk with comment afterward.
14-year-old boy accused The attorney for a 14-year- The Associated Press that reporters Tuesday morning There was no indication
outside the juvenile court- whether prosecutors might
Attorney Ed Perry leads the family of James Austin Hancock out of the courthouse after he was ar- room where Perry entered seek to move the case to
raigned in Butler County Juvenile Court, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, in Hamilton, Ohio. An Ohio sheriff a denial of charges includ- adult court.
says Hancock, the 14-year-old suspect in a school shooting that wounded multiple classmates on ing attempted murder for The Associated Press
Monday, is in a juvenile lock-up and facing several charges. Hancock. doesn’t generally name
He says it’s been difficult to juveniles charged with
(Greg Lynch/The Journal-News via AP) get the youth to talk with crimes.
him, but he says he hopes Authorities allege the boy
of shooting students in a old boy accused of shoot- James Austin Hancock’s that will change in the days fired at students Monday
school cafeteria entered ing fellow students in an family wants the families of ahead. Hancock is being in a cafeteria used by high
the juvenile court equiva- Ohio school cafeteria says those hurt and the Madison held in juvenile detention schoolers in Madison Town-
lent of a not-guilty plea at he hasn’t been willing to Local Schools community in pending an April 5 hearing. ship, near Middletown. Two
a Tuesday hearing that of- talk much and appears to general to know that they Perry wasn’t aware of But- students were shot and two
ler County Sheriff Richard others were hurt, possibly
Jones’ contention that the by shrapnel or while run-
youth should be prosecut- ning away, authorities said.
ed as an adult, but said The injuries weren’t consid-
that’s an issue “we will be ered life-threatening.
concerned about.” In a recorded call, a 911
The boy is charged in But- caller reporting the shoot-
ler County with attempted ing immediately identi-
murder, felonious assault, fied the suspect by name.
inducing panic and mak- Breathing heavily, the un-
ing terroristic threats. With identified caller told a dis-
his ankles shackled, he patcher: “He just pulled
sat silently during the brief out his gun and started
hearing and kept his head shooting.”
down, reading the com- Sheriff Richard Jones said
plaint. he’s aware of a motive but
Defense attorney Ed Perry wasn’t ready to release it.
entered a denial of the Students were eating in the
charges, and a magistrate cafeteria when the shoot-
ordered that the suspect ing happened around
remain in juvenile deten- 11:30 a.m., Jones said. Af-
tion pending a hearing terward, classmates de-
scribed a chaotic scene
Utah police slammed for not releasing video of shooting where they weren’t sure
what was happening at
LINDSAY WHITEHURST Abdi Mohamed, who came fer more information and Spokesman Ibrahim Hoop- first.
BRADY McCOMBS to the U.S. with his family in would not release video er has not been able to A sheriff’s deputy stationed
Associated Press 2004, was shot twice in the from the officers’ body talk to Mohamed’s family in the school had just been
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Po- torso last weekend when cameras, citing the inves- but has been told they are in the cafeteria, Jones said.
lice have refused to release officers intervened as he tigation and the possibility Muslim. The students who were
body camera footage or and another person at- the teenager could face At the rally, Nacom Koffi shot were 14 and 15 years
details about what led of- tacked someone with met- charges. was one of many who old and were taken to a
ficers to shoot and criti- al sticks, police said. That decision drew criti- chanted “Black lives mat- hospital where they were
cally wound a 17-year-old Officers told them to drop cism from the Council on ter” and speculated that in stable condition, investi-
Somali refugee in Salt Lake their weapons, but the American-Islamic Rela- Mohamed’s race played a gators said.
City, igniting criticism from teen instead moved men- tions, which called on po- factor in the shooting. Koffi, The school, which had
civil rights groups. acingly toward the victim, lice to release the footage from West Africa, joined the practiced for such an
The city known for its ties to authorities said. Mohamed to avoid making the same chorus of calls for police to event, immediately went
Mormonism has become was in critical condition mistake Chicago police release the footage. into lockdown, said Madi-
the latest flashpoint in the Monday. The victim of the made in waiting more than “Why are police wearing son Local Schools spokes-
national discussion about beating didn’t need medi- a year to release video of video and we can’t see woman A.J. Huff.
police use of force, espe- cal attention. a black teenager shot 16 it?” Koffi said. “If they’re The district canceled class-
cially with minorities. Police declined to of- times by an officer. right, let’s see it.” es and extracurricular ac-
tivities Tuesday.