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Boy, 15, to be tried as adult in shooting at S.C. school

By Allen Cone

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A boy accused of killing his father and then shooting a gun at a grade school in South Carolina when he was 14 years old will be tried as an adult and face life in prison.

On Friday, Judge Edgar Long moved Jesse Osborne, now 15, out of Family Court and to General Sessions Court.

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He faces two charges of murder, three charges of attempted murder and five counts of possessing a weapon during the shooting at his home and a school in Greenville, S.C., on Sept. 28, 2016.

If he were tried as a juvenile, Osborne could only have been imprisoned until he turned 21 under South Carolina law.

David Wagner, the 10th Judicial Circuit solicitor, said that if the teen is found guilty, he faces at least 30 years in prison and could spend the the rest of his life behind bars.

Osborne, who appeared at the hearing, has been in custody since the shooting.

He is accused of killing his father, Jeffrey Osborne, 47, with a .40-caliber weapon at their home, then driving to Townville Elementary School about 3 miles away and firing shots on the playground.

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Two boys and a teacher were injured. Jacob Hall, a first-grader, died of his injuries three days later.

"The evil and premeditated planning which has been revealed this week through witness testimony clearly demonstrates that Osborne ... is a cold and calculated killer," the parents said in a statement. "May God have mercy on his soul."

During testimony Thursday, Dr. James Ballenger, a forensic psychiatrist who also evaluated Charleston mass-killer Dylann Roof, provided his assessment of Osborne, saying he had an "indifference to his victims."

"In my opinion he should be waived up to General Sessions [adult court] for the protection of the public," Ballenger said.

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