Warner Robins High School shooting suspect denied bond during 1st court appearance, will be tried as adult
A 14-year-old accused of shooting another student during a fight at Warner Robins High School will remain in custody after he was denied bond on Thursday.
Denzelle Willis Jr. appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, a day after the shooting in the Central Georgia town.
During the hearing, prosecutors told the judge that Willis is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, theft by receiving stolen property, disrupting the operation of a public school, carrying weapons within a school safety zone, and possession of a handgun by a person under 18, WMAZ reported.
The aggravated assault charge moved the case to superior court. Prosecutors say that Willis will be tried as an adult.
After telling him his rights, Judge Katherine Lumsden announced that Willis could appear before a grand jury next Tuesday, though there is the chance that his appearance would be pushed back.
"I am not going to entertain the issue of bond today," Lumsden said. "You will remain in custody at the YDC."
Student shot at Warner Robins High School
Willis is accused of being the gunman in a shooting that happened around 2:15 p.m. in one of Warner Robins High School's bathrooms.
According to Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton, two ninth-grade students got into an argument that turned into a physical fight. During that fight, one of the students, now identified as Willis, pulled out a gun and shot the other in the leg.
Following the shooting, Willis fled the school on foot, Moulton said. The teen was later apprehended in a neighborhood about half a mile away from the school.
The 14-year-old victim was treated at the scene and then taken to a local hospital. Authorities have not released his identity or current condition.
Warner Robins High School was closed on Thursday for all students and staff members. Students will return to the high school on Monday.
Warner Robins is located in Central Georgia, about 100 miles south of Atlanta.
