Psych evaluation ordered for boy accused in fatal shooting at Arlington Lamar High School
A boy accused in the shotgun shooting death of an Arlington Lamar High School classmate is a danger to the public and should continue to be detained, a judge ordered on Thursday.
But the boy, who is 15, should not lose hope of being released from a juvenile detention facility in the future, state District Judge Alex Kim told him at a hearing, noting that he had previously released children accused of the same offense, capital murder. Kim suggested that although the boy’s detention status will be considered every 10 business days, as the law requires for juveniles, his release, if it is ordered, would be months away.
Lisa Herrick, the boy’s attorney, requested psychological and psychiatric evaluations for her client, and Kim, presiding in 323rd District Court in Tarrant County, agreed that both were appropriate.
Jashawn Poirier, 16, died at a hospital after he was shot outside the school on March 20. Another student, a girl who was sitting on a bench, suffered a graze injury to her face.
Police have said surveillance video cameras recorded the shooting, which occurred about 6:55 a.m., about 40 minutes before classes were scheduled to begin.
Police have not publicly described a motive.
The suspect was arrested in the minutes that followed the shooting. The boy dropped a bag that held a weapon that matched a description of the 12-gauge shotgun used in the shooting, according to a police account. The arrested boy’s clothes matched the clothing description for the shooter offered by a witness, and shell casings found at the scene matched the caliber of projectiles at his residence, according to the police account.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram generally does not publish the names of juveniles who are accused of crimes.
This story was originally published April 6, 2023 at 3:33 PM.
