The 15-year-old boy accused of shooting two Lamar High School students — killing one — will remain in custody because he refused to leave his room for breakfast and other activities at a juvenile detention facility, a judge said Friday.
Tarrant County Juvenile Court Judge Alex Kim said he was concerned by the minor infractions and that he would not allow the unidentified teenager's release until he saw improvements.
"Being this is so serious, I have to be heightened," Kim said. "Even the small rules are much bigger."
The boy will now be detained for at least another two weeks, but Kim acknowledged he was looking for a pattern of good behavior that could take months.
The teen, who isn't being identified by law enforcement because he's a minor, is accused of shooting and killing Ja'Shawn Poirier, 16, on March 20 in front of the Arlington school building.
Poirier was sitting on the steps of the school when a shooter drove by and fired on the boy. Another unidentified student was injured in the shooting.
The suspected shooter's attorney, Lisa Herrick, said the teen's father is currently in federal custody for possessing a firearm as a felon. She said his detention hearing records show the federal charge is related to the Arlington shooting, but couldn't offer further information.
Herrick said after working with Kim for years, she understands his expectations and was working with her client to meet them.
The teen's aunt, whom he lives with, was also in attendance but declined to comment.
Asked how the family was handling the situation, Herrick said everyone was surprised by the allegations.
"No one expected [the teen] to be alleged to have committed an offense like this, no one expected him to be arrested, no one expected him to be here," Herrick said. "He's 15 years old, he's never been in trouble before."
Got a tip? Email Toluwani Osibamowo at tosibamowo@kera.org. You can follow Toluwani on Twitter @tosibamowo.
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