SPOKANE, Wash. — Additional staff members from the Freeman School District shared what they witnessed the day of the shooting at the accused shooter’s court hearing Friday.
Their testimony is part of a week-long hearing that will determine if the accused shooter, Caleb Sharpe, will be tried as an adult.
The Freeman School District psychologist, high school principal and school resource officer all spoke at the hearing. Their testimony appeals to the criteria that will help a judge determine if the accused shooter will be tried as an adult.
Jody Sweeney is the district's psychologist who worked with the accused shooter in previous years. She said there are Freeman students and staff who have left the district since the shooting.
She described the effects of that day as “catastrophic.” Since the shooting, she's noticed Freeman students and staff have been in survival mode and now showing physical and mental exhaustion.
"This year is the year I've seen massive executive functioning issues in everybody. Staff, students, community members. There's a lot of physical and mental exhaustion. There's a lot of irritability, memory issues, planning issues," Sweeney said on the stand.
Later in the day, Spokane County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Detective Scott Bonney took the stand.
In his testimony, the detective said the accused shooter admitted he'd been planning the shooting for about two years.
He interviewed the accused shooter after he was arrested. He read the transcript of that interview.
“I say something funny and they don't laugh. I don't really care about that. It's just like I know I did something for once and I'm not a failure at it,” Bonney read. "What made you choose that area of the school to go to? Mr. Sharpe replied, ‘It was the area filled with the most people.’"
The hearing will resume Monday at 9:30 a.m. for closing statements.
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