GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Kent County Prosecutor, Chris Becker announced 2 charges against a minor months after an Alger Middle School student was shot in the face.
We have issued two charges against one juvenile in this matter. The first is one count of careless discharge of a firearm causing injury; in the adult court this is a high court misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of two years or $2,000. The second count is larceny of a firearm; in the adult court this is a felony, punishable by five years and/or $2,500. As a juvenile the individual cannot be sentenced to incarceration as part of any conviction. These charges will remain in the juvenile system, there will be no waiver to the adult court system. Under Michigan law the individual is too young to be moved into the adult system.
At this time these are simply charges, even as a juvenile the individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. I appreciate the response to the incident, and the thorough investigation done by the Grand Rapids Police Department in this case. This was a very serious incident, it is extremely fortunate there was no loss of life, and as with any incident involving guns and a school, we have done everything we can under the law to hold those accountable for breaking the law.
—Christopher Becker, Kent County Prosecutor
A 13-year-old student was shot near the school in mid-May. Two students were in a nearby park around noon when one shot the other in the face.
The students both ran back to the school to get help.
"There's no way to get shot with a bullet in the face and have it be anything other than a life changing traumatic experience," Grand Rapids Police Chief, Eric Winstrom had said at the time.
The student shot was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
