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Indiana school shooting suspect will not be charged as adult

Scene near Noblesville High School on Friday, May 25, 2018, at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., after a shooting on Friday, May 25, 2018. A male student opened fire at the suburban Indianapolis school wounding another student and a teacher before being taken into custody, authorities said.  (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Scene near Noblesville High School on Friday, May 25, 2018, at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., after a shooting on Friday, May 25, 2018. A male student opened fire at the suburban Indianapolis school wounding another student and a teacher before being taken into custody, authorities said. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
By Lauren Padgett, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
June 6, 2018

An Indiana prosecutor said that a 13-year-old student accused of shooting a classmate and teacher at a middle school in suburban Indiana will not be tried as an adult.

Prosecutor D. Lee Buckingham said that someone as young as 12 can be tried for murder but the statute does not include attempted murder.

Buckingham said that the teen's case could not be heard in adult court because his alleged attempt to commit murder "wasn't successful," The Associated Press reported.

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The middle school student is accused of opening fire into a science classroom at Noblesville West Middle School on March 25, officials said.

The teen, allegedly armed with two handguns, shot 13-year-old Ella Whistler and science teacher Jason Seaman, prosecutors said.

Whistler is still in the hospital. Her family told RTV6 that she was shot seven times, including in her face, neck and upper chest. She suffered from collapsed lungs, several broken bones and has significant nerve damage.

This undated file photo provided by the Whistler family shows Ella Whistler. Whistler was shot in a classroom Friday, May 25, 2018 at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., near Indianapolis.
This undated file photo provided by the Whistler family shows Ella Whistler. Whistler was shot in a classroom Friday, May 25, 2018 at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., near Indianapolis.

Seaman has been credited with helping stop the attack by disarming the student. He suffered minor injuries and has been released from the hospital.

Jason Seaman, a seventh grade science teacher at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., speaks to the media during a press conference Monday, May 28, 2018. Seaman tackled and disarmed a student with a gun at the school on Friday. He was shot but not seriously injured.
Jason Seaman, a seventh grade science teacher at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., speaks to the media during a press conference Monday, May 28, 2018. Seaman tackled and disarmed a student with a gun at the school on Friday. He was shot but not seriously injured.

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Lauren Padgett, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

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