Two days after the Marshall County school shooting, teenage suspect appears in juvenile court

The teenager accused of killing two people and injuring more than a dozen others at a high school in southwestern Kentucky appeared in court on Thursday, and officials said they will now formally file paperwork to charge him as an adult.

The 15-year-old suspect, who is a student at Marshall County High School, is facing two counts of murder and 12 counts of first-degree assault, authorities previously said. He has not been named because the charges are in juvenile court, which is closed to the public and where the records are sealed under Kentucky law.

The teen appeared in front of a judge Thursday at the Marshall County Judicial Center in Benton, Kentucky, less than five miles from Tuesday's crime scene, according to Marshall County assistant attorney Jason Darnall, who is prosecuting the case. A family member of a victim told Courier Journal they attended the hearing.

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After the Thursday hearing, Darnall read a prepared statement to reporters at the courthouse, in which he said he expects to file paperwork within a week to move his charges to Marshall County's circuit court. A hearing in front of a judge on that request will be held at an unspecified date.

"Because of the confidential nature of this case, I cannot make comments on the proceedings that took place today, other than that what I already said," Darnall said in the two-minute statement, which was read after a more than one-hour wait and a 10-minute meeting with the prosecutors.

Prior to leaving without taking any questions, Darnall thanked faculty, staff and first responders for their efforts during Tuesday's shooting, the state's deadliest at a high school since 1997 at Heath High School, up the road in West Paduach, Kentucky.

"May God bless Marshall County," Darnall proclaimed.

The teen was taken into custody after the shooting Tuesday morning at the school, located about 200 miles from Louisville. Two people were killed – Bailey Holt and Preston Cope, both 15. Eighteen others were injured, including 14 with gunshot wounds.

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@gannett.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/justins.