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West Jordan • A now-15-year-old boy was sentenced to a secure juvenile care facility Monday, after admitting he shot another teen twice in the head outside a Sandy middle school last year.
The boy was charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court with first-degree felony attempted murder and several weapons charges. He admitted to each charge on Monday, telling the judge that he brought a gun to school on Oct. 25 and fired the weapon at a 16-year-old boy.
"I was confronted by [the victim]," he told Judge Tupakk Renteria. "I brought the gun out and shot him multiple times."
In exchange for the pleas, the boy's case will remain in juvenile court. Though prosecutors initially said they would seek to move the case to the adult system, Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Thaddeus May said Monday that the resolution was appropriate and will hold the teen accountable for his actions, while also offering rehabilitation.
The teen was sentenced to an indeterminate amount of time in a secure care facility, which could be until he is 21 years old. May said his office will recommend to the Youth Parole Authority that the teen serve beyond the minimum recommendation because of the aggravated nature of his crimes.
The shooting victim was in court on Monday, alongside his aunt, but he did not speak in court.
"He's been pretty courageous," May told the judge. "He told us less than a week ago that he didn't have hate in his heart for the young man who shot him."
Defense attorney Sophia Moore told the judge on Monday that the defendant had prepared and memorized an apology letter, but was "very, very nervous" and would not read it aloud. In the letter, Moore said the boy was sorry for what happened and "relived the moment over and over again."
The defense team for the teen also recommended to Renteria that the teen be sentenced to secure care. Moore said the resolution offers the boy schooling and counseling in a juvenile facility, rather than the "terrifying" possibility of a prison sentence in the adult system.
Charging documents state that the then-14-year-old brought the gun to school because he and the older boy had decided to fight and that the younger boy was afraid the older boy "would do something."
Renteria commented Monday that he was disturbed by social media conversations that occurred before the shooting, particularly a conversation where the younger boy asked a friend to take a video of the confrontation in case it led to violence.
"It blows my mind," the judge said.
On Oct. 25, the boy got the gun from his mother's closet, according to charging documents, and brought it to school in anticipation of the confrontation.
As the two met up on the lawn outside the school, the younger boy pulled out the gun and pulled the trigger, according to charging documents.
Charges say the 16-year-old boy was shot on the right side of his skull above the ear, with an exit wound on top of his head. He also was shot on the left side of his neck, a couple of inches behind his ear, with an exit wound in his left cheek.
Spencer Banks, an attorney for the victim, said Monday that the boy is still recovering physically — and mentally — from the encounter. The victim's family were in support of the plea deal, he said.
"They are looking forward to moving on and putting this all behind him," Banks said. "And, hopefully, living the normal life of a teenager."
Because he is a juvenile, police did not release the name of the injured boy, and Banks said Monday that the teen did not want to be publicly identified.
As for the shooter, the Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify juveniles charged with crimes unless they have been certified to stand trial in adult court.