Accused Lamar High School shooter to undergo psychiatric evaluation; murder trial delayed
The trial of a 15-year-old accused of capital murder in the fatal shooting of a fellow student on the steps of Lamar High School in Arlington will be delayed, the judge said Friday.
Tarrant Count Juvenile Court Judge Alex Kim ordered that the teen undergo a psychiatric evaluation over the coming days to determine if he’s able to effectively communicate with his attorneys, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported.
The trial for the teen, who is accused of killing 16-year-old Ja’Shawn Poirier outside Lamar High School on March 20 and wounding another student, was supposed to begin next week.
Jury selection was scheduled to start Friday, but the teen’s lawyers questioned if the 15-year-old would be able to sit through the trial, according to WFAA.
“This is not any of y’all’s fault,” Kim said as he excused the 110 potential jurors. “This is not any party’s fault. If it’s someone’s fault, it’s going to be my fault for making sure all our rights are protected.”
Opening statements for the trial will begin Sept. 18 if the psychological evaluation comes back on time and indicates the defendant is competent to stand trial, WFAA reported.
In June, Kim denied a request from the prosecutors to try to the accused shooter in adult criminal court.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram generally does not publish the names of juveniles who are accused of crimes unless they are charged as adults.
This story was originally published August 18, 2023 at 1:25 PM.
