DA Points To Recklessness For The Death Of Student In Houston High School

The suspected shooter who killed a student at Bellaire High School in Houston Tuesday didn't intend to shoot the victim, prosecutor said.

The 16-year-old shooter ran from the school after the crime was committed around 4:00 p.m., said NBC News.

The suspect and another individual were arrested shortly after 7:30 p.m., the outlet added, citing police statement.

“The evidence shows that the act that the juvenile committed was not intentional, but it was reckless,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

He added that the suspect is now facing manslaughter instead of murder, and that the suspect and the victim were friends and belonged to the same ROTC group.

Ogg then reiterated that the incident was “not an accident” and considered the fact that pulling a gun's trigger, whether the wielder knows if it's loaded or not, “is not an intentional act.”

The suspect didn't intend to kill his friend based on the evidence they have now, Ogg added.

The second person was released without any charges and was only taken into custody because he was with the suspect when the arrest was made, a police official told NBC News in a separate article.

On the other hand, Bellaire police lieutenant Greg Bartlett told NBC News that the suspect had managed to slip a .32-caliber semi-automatic pistol to school.

Investigators have yet to determine how the shooter got the gun inside and that he is “not cooperating and has not said where the gun is.”

The identities of the suspect and the victim were not released by the police.