A juvenile suspected in the murder of a Virginia middle school girl is being held without bond after a virtual arraignment with a judge on Monday.
The 14-year-old suspect was charged with second-degree murder in the Friday shooting of eighth-grade student Lucia Bremer, 13, in Henrico County, reported WRIC, a local ABC affiliate.
Police took the suspect into custody on Saturday. He faces additional charges of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a juvenile.
The teenager appeared with a guardian for his arraignment, and his name was not given due to his age. A hearing has been scheduled for May 4.
TWO DEAD AND EIGHT INJURED IN SHOOTING AT VIRGINIA BEACH
“There are a lot of people hurting,” Henrico County Commonwealth’s attorney Shannon Taylor told reporters. “Certainly, the facts of this case are absolutely horrific.”
A witness told a local NBC affiliate he saw a man walking behind two girls on Friday before gunshots were fired. The witness said he assumed they were walking together. However, a source told WRIC the alleged shooter did not know the girls.
The shooting led a nearby high school in Henrico County to be temporarily placed on lockdown.
Bremer’s family posted about her death in a Facebook post over the weekend that said: “Liberty Tree Farm is saddened to report that our beloved daughter and joyful farmer, Lucia Whalen Bremer, was killed in a senseless act of gun violence on March 26. Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts as we navigate the next few weeks.”
Members of the community created a memorial of flowers spelling “Lucia” near a sports field at Quioccasin Middle School, where Bremer attended.
Quioccasin Middle School, Sunday, March 28, 2021: For Lucia ?️ pic.twitter.com/1LrDey04uA
— Henrico Schools (@HenricoSchools) March 28, 2021
The school’s principal, Melanie Phipps, penned in a statement Saturday that Bremer’s smile “would light up the entire room.”
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“Her mother told me that Lucia’s name means ‘light,'” Phipps added, saying it “is just the perfect way to describe her.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Henrico County Police Department but did not immediately receive a response.
