ST. HELENA — A young teenager pleaded guilty to killing a classmate, and has been charged as an adult in the 2023 school shooting. The teen was sentenced to nine years.
The shooting happened at St. Helena College & Career Academy on September 13, 2023. The then-14-year-old, Christopher Williams, was inside a car with three others after school when they opened fire inside the vehicle. A 15-year-old student was killed and two others were injured. Investigators with the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office said bullying was to blame.
Williams was charged with second-degree murder, among other charges.
“A 14-year-old being charged as an adult highlights the severity of what happened,” said Taylor Anthony, the assistant district attorney for the 21st Judicial District Court. “Under the law, 14 is the absolute youngest someone could be charged as an adult, and there’s only a handful of crimes where that could happen, and murder is one. So to get a plea of guilty as charged to murder as an adult highlights the significance of such a tragic event.”
Williams will be given credit for time already served off his nine-year sentence.
“I hope the message is that this is zero-tolerance policy, especially to violence on a school campus,” Anthony continued. “Being charged as an adult is very significant. It stays on his record. He’s transferred to an adult prison, as opposed to had he been tried as a juvenile. You know, he could have gotten out much sooner with more of a sealed record.”
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
