Clovis library shooting

On August 28, 2017, a gunman fatally shot two people and injured four others at the Clovis-Carver Library, a public library in downtown Clovis, New Mexico, U.S. The gunman was Nathaniel Jouett, a 16-year-old student at nearby Clovis High School.[1]

Clovis library shooting
Location701 North Main Street, Clovis, New Mexico, U.S.
DateAugust 28, 2017
4:17 p.m. (MST)
Attack type
Mass shooting
WeaponsHandgun
Deaths2
Injured4
PerpetratorNathaniel Jouett

Shooting

The suspect entered the library at 4:15 pm MST on Monday, August 28, 2017, and went into the restroom. He began shooting shortly after he came out of the restroom.[2] At the time of the shooting, it was unclear how many people were in the library and Jouett seemed to fire randomly as individuals and parents with children tried to flee.[3] According to an eyewitness, the gunman entered the library and shot into the carpet, shouting “Run! Why aren’t you running? I’m shooting at you! Run!” before he began to move about the room shooting at people.[4] Another witness claimed that Jouett looked happy, that "He was just laughing, smiling the whole time, until he came up real close to me, and then he put on that mean look."[3]

Police received multiple emergency calls.[2] About 15 minutes after the first call came in, police received a call from the suspect's father, who told them that the suspect had taken his father's guns from the safe where they were kept, and left the house.[2]

The suspect surrendered immediately when police arrived; he did not struggle with the arresting officers.[4][2] He told police that he had been planning an attack for a while, that he had intended to shoot up the school before killing himself.[2]

Victims

Two people, Wanda Walters, 61, and Kristina Carter, 48, both library employees, were killed. Kristina Carter was the youth librarian and Wanda Walters worked at the circulation desk. Four people were wounded, who were identified as Howard Jones, 53, Jessica Thron, 30, Alexis Molina, 20, and Noah Molina, 10.[4]

According to Public Radio station KUNM, although the Associated Press usually refrains from using the names of juvenile defendants, it has chosen to publish Nathaniel Jouett's name "because of the seriousness of the crime and because authorities are seeking adult sanctions."[5]

Curry County District Attorney Andrea Reeb has announced that she intends to prosecute the suspect as an adult.[4] The suspect made his first court appearance on August 31, 2017. The court determined that he would not be released yet and set a date of September 8, 2017 for his first appearance before a grand jury.[6]

The suspect was indicted on September 8, 2017 for two counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of child abuse, four counts of aggravated battery, and twenty counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony. He will be tried as an adult.[7][8][9] Preparation for the trial is expected to take months, perhaps as long as a year.[10]

In April 2018, a judge denied a defense request to transfer defendant from prison to a juvenile treatment facility,[11] and ordered that he undergo a mental "evaluation and assessment" so that his mental health needs could be addressed.[12] On October 17, 2018, Jouett pleaded guilty in the shooting.[13] On February 15, 2019, Jouett was sentenced to two life sentences, with the possibility of parole, plus 40 years in prison.[14] Jouett is currently incarcerated in the Lea County Correctional Center.[15]

References
  1. "2 dead, 4 injured in shooting at library in Clovis, New Mexico". ABC News. 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  2. "Shooting suspect: I thought I would kill myself or kill a bunch of people". KOAT. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. "Library shooting: Patrons tell of laughing gunman ordering them to run". The Mercury News. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. DeGrandpre, Andrew (29 August 2017). "16-year-old faces murder charges in New Mexico library shooting". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  5. "Teen Charged In Clovis Library Shooting To Undergo Evaluation". KUNM. AP. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  6. Martinez, Allison (31 August 2017). "Teen accused of Clovis shooting makes first court appearance". KRQU News 13. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  7. "Teen accused of deadly Clovis shooting to be tried as an adult". KQRE. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  8. "Grand jury indicts New Mexico teen in library shooting". Miami Herald. AP. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  9. "Trial date set for Clovis library shooting case". KRQE. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  10. "Lengthy legal resolution foreseen in fatal shooting at Clovis library". Albuquerque Journal. AP. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  11. "Teen charged in Clovis library shooting denied transfer". KOB. AP. 12 April 2018.
  12. "Teen charged in fatal library shooting to undergo evaluation". KOB. AP. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  13. Mendoza, Elena (17 October 2018). "Teen pleads guilty to all 30 charges in Clovis library shooting". KRQE. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  14. "Judge sentences Nathaniel Jouett to two life sentences". KFDA. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  15. https://search.cd.nm.gov/history_detail
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.