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Farmington • A 15-year-old Bountiful boy pleaded not guilty Thursday to accusations that he took a shotgun to school and fired it into the ceiling before his own parents wrestled him to the floor.
The teen is charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of second-degree-felony theft, one count of third-degree-felony discharge of a firearm, as well as two counts of class A misdemeanor possession of a firearm on school premises.
The red-haired boy was quiet during Thursday's hearing. He appeared in Juvenile Judge Janice Frost's courtroom in person for the first time, unshackled and seated next to his parents and attorney Lindsay Jarvis.
Posecutors have filed a motion asking to have the case moved to the adult court system. Frost will make that determination after hearing evidence of the alleged crimes and considering community safety, the teen's psychological records, family history and rehabilitation needs.
Jarvis told reporters after the hearing that they will fight against adult certification, saying that the boy needs help, not to be facing the potential of a lengthy stay in adult prison.
"You don't send a little boy like that to prison," she said.
The defense attorney emphasized that there was no evidence that her client was trying to hurt anyone but himself that day. She said his parents are "devastated" by the boy's actions.
The youth is expected in court again for a Jan. 19 scheduling conference.
"[It] is the juvenile court's intention to move this along as quickly as possible," Frost told attorneys Thursday. "Both sides need time to prepare … But it's not in the juvenile's best interest to prolong this any longer than necessary."
On Dec. 1, the boy took two firearms — a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9 mm handgun — from his home without his parent's permission. He then took the guns inside Mueller Park Junior High School, according to charging documents.
After firing a shotgun blast inside a classroom, the boy was apprehended by his parents. Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross has said the boy's parents went to the school looking for their son after they noticed the missing guns.
They were inside the school when they heard the gunshot, according to police. The parents then went to the south wing of the school where the shot was fired, and disarmed and detained the teen, Ross said.
The Tribune generally does not identify juveniles charged with crimes unless they are certified as adults.