Next court date set for teens accused of plotting mass shooting at Harns Marsh Middle School

14-year-old Phillip Byrd and 13-year-old Connor Pruett were expected in court Monday. They were arrested by Lee County deputies who say they were planning a shooting at the Harns Marsh Middle School.

Only one of the teens was present in court on Monday. Pruett was there with his mother and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit a mass shooting, a second-degree felony.

Byrd was not in court, but an attorney for him announced that the teen would waive his appearance.

At the time of writing, neither teen is being charged as an adult and both have been released from sheriff’s custody.

Quick action from students and teachers at the middle school helped stop the attack. Lee County Sheriff’s deputies said the teens attempted to buy guns on the black market and tried to learn how to make a pipe bomb.

Both Pruett and Byrd are expected to be back in court on November, 3 at 9:00 a.m.