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Teen shooting suspect appears before judge; 911 calls report incident
A day after a shooting at Sanford's Seminole High School, the suspect appeared before a judge. Authorities also released 911 calls reporting the shooting just around noon on Wednesday.
SaNFORD, Fla. - With his wrist bound together in red handcuffs, Da’raveius Smith made his first appearance before a judge Thursday morning.
The 16-year-old was arrested Wednesday at Seminole High School in Sanford after investigators say he shot his classmate, 18-year-old Jhavon McIntyre, three times. The judge ruled there is probable cause to hold Smith at the juvenile detention center for 30 days.
Walking out of the courthouse, Smith’s parents didn’t have anything to say to FOX 35 News on their son’s behalf. Meanwhile, several of Jhavon McIntyre’s family members showed up for Smith’s first appearance.
"I really want to look in his face, because I really have to wonder, ‘Why did you shoot my grandson?’" Joyce Baker said.
Da’raveius Smith, 16, was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
She has not been able to see McIntyre yet, but they’ve been talking on the phone.
RELATED: Seminole High students return to class after shooting inside school
"The first thing he said was, ‘Grandma, he tried to kill me.’ But by the grace of God he didn’t," Baker said.
She says her grandson underwent surgery on Wednesday night to repair an artery and had a follow-up surgery on Thursday to get a rod put in his wrist.
When asked how McIntyre is doing mentally, she replied, "Jhavon is hurt. He can’t believe that this has happened to him."
She says her grandson has some scholarship offers to play football next year in college, but that’s now riding on if his hand and wrist are able to heal.
"We don’t want him to lose hope about going to college. Because we don’t know how this is going to turn out. How this is going to affect him. We’re trying to do as much as we can do to keep his spirits up. We want him to go to school," Baker said.
As for Smith, he is scheduled to be back in school on Valentine’s Day for an arraignment. His family is hiring him a private attorney. No word yet on who that is.
Watch FOX 35 News for the latest launch updates.
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