Police Detail Richmond School Shooting Events

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 11:08 AM

By Carli Luca and Peter Cheng, 24/7 News Source

Indiana State Police say the 14-year-old shooter was intent on causing "maximum harm."

Police on the scene of an active shooter situation at Dennis Intermediate School in Richmond, Indiana on December 13, 2018. Photo by WKEF/WRGT.

(Richmond, Ind.) - Police are releasing more information about a school shooting in Richmond, Indiana. 

A news conference held Tuesday detailed what transpired December 13 at Dennis Intermediate School

Indiana State Police Captain David Bursten says the suspect's mother called 9-1-1 to warn them that her son had taken her boyfriend hostage at gunpoint and was forcing him to drive to the school. His intent was to cause maximum harm.

“With no doubt in my mind, had she not made that call, things would have turned out dramatically different there. More likely there would have been more loss of life,” said Bursten.

Bursten says the teen suspect arrived to the school with a Remington rifle, .45 caliber pistol, two magazines, a handwritten plan, and items to create Molotov cocktails. 

The shooter was able to force his way inside the school. 

“He uses the .45 caliber pistol and fires three shots into the glass door, knocking out the glass, making entry into the school,” Bursten explained.

The timeline of the police response was also released, and the principal of the school was credited with saving officers' lives by warning them when the shooter was in the stairwell. 

Police say the 14-year-old fired a dozen shots that morning. He was never wounded by police bullets before taking his own life.

No officers were hurt. 

Bursten said the shooter was not targeting a specific person.

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