BOUNTIFUL, Utah -- A 15-year-old boy who fired a shotgun into the ceiling at Mueller Park Junior High School was sentenced Thursday and will be sent to a secure treatment facility within the Juvenile Justice System.
The judge ordered the teen to a secure treatment facility, and, while no timeline was given for that treatment, the teen's attorney estimates the duration will be between 6 months and one year.
In addition, the judge said the teen would not be allowed to return to Davis County Schools, though the judge noted the final decision on that matter is up to the school district.
Body camera footage from a responding officercaptured the moments the teen was taken into custody after firing a shot off in a science classroom at the junior high school on December 1. The teen's parents came to the school after finding firearms missing from the home, and they helped detain their son at the scene.
The teen's defense attorney said the boy had recently begun taking medication for mental health issues and had begun seeing a therapist in the weeks leading up to the incident.
The defense also claims the boy tried to get help on several occasions, including through the school district but "he just kept slipping through the cracks." They also alleged the teen had no intention of harming anyone other than perhaps himself.
However, an attorney for the juvenile court indicated there was evidence that suggested the teen had attempted to harm other people in the past, so they feel strongly the teen needs treatment.
