Witnesses say the boy entered a classroom and fired a single shot without ever saying a word. (Photo: The Salt Lake Tribune)
The teen accused of firing a gunshot inside a Salt Lake City area classroom earlier this month, before being disarmed and detained by his own parents, was officially charged in court Thursday.
The 15-year-old, who has not been publicly identified due to his age, was charged with two counts of second-degree felony theft, one count of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm, and two counts of class A misdemeanor possession of a firearm on school premises.
Deputy Davis County Attorney Ryan Perkins asked the teen, who has no prior criminal history, be tried as an adult, while defense attorney Lindsay Jarvis requested a psychological evaluation.
The boy was taken into custody by a Bountiful police officer on the morning of Dec. 1. The officer, whose body cam footage was released Thursday, arrived on the scene less than two minutes after a call came in about an active shooter at Mueller Park Junior High School in Bountiful, just north of Salt Lake City.
However, before the officer arrived, the boy’s parents had already come to the school, disarmed and detained the teen after an unsettling conversation and realizing two of their guns – a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm handgun – were missing from their home.
The boy’s parents said as they entered the school, they heard a single gunshot, which was fired into the ceiling of a classroom occupied by more than two dozen students and a teacher. No one was injured, and witnesses said one of the students unsuccessfully attempted to talk down the teen, who also pointed a gun at himself.
Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross praised the boy’s parents for their vigilance and involvement in the teen’s life and noted that without their intervention, the situation could have ended much worse.
The teen, who remains in custody at the Farmington Bay Youth Center, is scheduled to be back in court later this week.
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