Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Law

Boy, 9, sentenced in Washington school shooting

A 9-year-old Washington boy who brought a gun that discharged and critically wounded a fellow third-grader at school has been sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to write a letter of apology to his victim.

The boy's classmate, 8-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman, remains in serious condition at a Seattle hospital after she was struck Feb. 22 in her midsection and arm.

At a court hearing Tuesday, the boy was also told to undergo 48 hours of counseling.

Prosecutors dropped third-degree assault charges, but the boy pleaded guilty to and was sentenced on misdemeanor charges that included unlawful possession of a gun and bringing a dangerous weapon to school.

The .45 caliber handgun fired in a classroom at a Bremerton school after the boy slammed his backpack on a desk.

The Associated Press (“AP”) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world’s information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television, and online customers with coverage in text, photos, graphics, audio and video.