Wootton High School shooting: Teen suspect held without bond
Teen accused in Wootton High shooting held without bond
The 16-year-old accused of shooting a fellow student inside Wootton High School will remain behind bars after making his first court appearance Wednesday.
ROCKVILLE, Md. - The 16-year-old student charged with shooting another student at Wootton High School earlier this week will remain behind bars after making his first court appearance on Wednesday.
What we know:
Khalil White Villatoro, 16, will remain behind bars in an adult detention center despite his defense attorneys requesting that he be transferred to a juvenile facility.
White Villatoro’s lawyers told Judge Michael Glynn the transfer would allow him to continue schooling and receive mental health treatment. The judge denied the request, emphasizing the violent nature of the alleged crime.
He is being charged as an adult with attempted murder and assault charges for a shooting that unfolded at Wootton High School on Monday, leaving another 16-year-old injured.
Officials say Villatoro and the student who was shot are acquaintances, but they are still investigating the motive.
Investigators have identified the weapon used as a Polymer 80 "ghost gun," but police are still working to determine how the teen acquired the gun.
On Tuesday, police revealed that the violence began earlier in the day than initially realized. Villatoro allegedly threatened another student, a 15-year-old girl, by pointing a firearm at her before the shooting. She was not injured.
Prosecutors told the judge on Wednesday that he told the girl the gun was fake when she reacted to him pointing it at her.
They also said he texted another student to bring him his bag with his gun shortly after the incident with the 15-year-old.
Defense counsel emphasized that not all of the facts are known yet and that it is possible the incident was not as it originally appeared and may have been contained to two people. White Villatoro’s lawyers suggested perhaps he was not the first aggressor, but there is no evidence of that statement. The defense said White Villatoro has no juvenile record that they can find.
Suspect accused of threatening second student before Wootton High School shooting
Officials on Tuesday announced the identification of a second victim in the Wootton High School shooting – a 15-year-old girl. The suspect is accused of pointing a firearm at her earlier in the day on Monday, before the shooting that sent another student to the hospital.
Ehanced security measures
Dig deeper:
Students at Wootton High School are heading back to class Wednesday with heightened anxiety and increased security.
Students who choose to stay home will have their absences excused, but those attending will see new security upgrades, including increased security personnel through at least the end of the school year, alongside a police presence, and new electronic door locks and additional cameras.
The use of metal detectors is currently under consideration.
Parents, school leaders meet after student injured in shooting at Wootton High School
There is now a second victim in yesterday's Wootton High School shooting.
Parents push for answers
What they're saying:
The return to school follows two tense meetings held Tuesday for parents. Emotions ran high, with mixed reactions regarding the district's handling of the situation.
Some parents expressed frustration, with one attendee describing the meeting as "embarrassing" because officials did not answer specific questions regarding the incident. Others offered grace to the administration, acknowledging the difficulty of navigating a crisis.
District leaders clarified that the meetings were not intended as town halls for policy debate, but rather as sessions focused on helping families talk to their children about trauma.
What's next:
The Montgomery County School Board of Education is expected to meet to discuss the events at Wootton High, as well as broader security measures for schools throughout the county.
The Source: