He was tried as a juvenile, because when he planned the shooting, he was 14. State law prohibits adult trials under 15 in most cases.
The Student Who Had Elaborate Plan to Shoot Up High School Is Sentenced
Mason Bently-Ray Ashby, now 15, will spend six more years in jail until he is 21 for his planning an elaborate shooting scheme to be carried out against Kamiakin High School in 2025.
In Benton County Superior Court on Monday, June 22nd, he was given a sentence longer than usual because of the threat he poses to the community. He created an elaborate color-coded plan including specific rooms in his armed assault.
He was raised by grandparents, and gained access to weapons by obtaining the code to their gun safe.
A 12-Year-Old Florida Student Saw Ashby’s Tik-Tok Video About His Plan
The boy and his friend reported it to the FBI, and in less than 24 hours Ashby was arrested, this occurred last September. According to the Tri-City Herald, tensions ran high in the courtroom as letters were read from teachers and students, describing the fear and after-effects of the terrifying plot.
School Board President Gabe Galbreath said Ashby’s actions were not a prank or mistake, but a deliberate act that “terrorized people and shook the publics’ foundation of trust,” according to the Herald.
Benton County Officials argued for the maximum sentence, pushing back on the defense’s claim that if he’s released at 21, he won’t have community supervision due to the juvenile justice system expirations.
Did Defendant Also Consider Violence Against an Elementary School?
Evidence during the trial also indicated Ashby may have also been targeting Amon Creek Elementary, having some much of the same ‘exploratory’ studies and ‘scouting’ he did at Kamiakin.
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Gallery Credit: Andrew Lisa