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Grand jury weighs charging 13-year-old as adult in teacher shooting

Grunow worked at Lake Worth Community Middle School for seven years

June 12, 2000
Web posted at: 1:53 p.m. EDT (1753 GMT)

MIAMI (CNN) -- A grand jury in Palm Beach County met Monday to consider charging a 13-year-old boy as an adult in the shooting death of one of his teachers.

Nathaniel Brazill is being held as a juvenile for allegedly shooting Barry Grunow, 35, at Lake Worth Middle School last month.

Palm Beach County State's Attorney Barry Krischer said he will ask a grand jury to charge the boy with first-degree murder.

Under Florida law, a grand jury is the only body that can bring a charge of first-degree murder. If that happens, the boy would be tried as an adult and Brazill would be transferred from a juvenile detention facility to the county jail.

He would be scheduled to make a first appearance on any charges as early as Tuesday and arraigned at a later date.

AUDIO Listen to 911 recordings released by police after the fatal shooting of Lake Worth Middle School teacher Barry Grunow 122K/11 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

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The boy's parents have told CNN the shooting was an accident.

They maintain their son should be tried as a juvenile.

Under Florida law, if the boy is convicted of first-degree murder, he would receive a mandatory sentence of life without parole.

If tried as a minor, Brazill could be held until the age of 21.

The boy's defense attorney, Robert Udell, said Friday he intended to ask the grand jury for permission to appear before them. "We want an opportunity to tell the grand jury what really happened," he said. The grand jury can reject the request.

Brazill allegedly used a .25-caliber handgun to shoot the language arts teacher May 26, the last day of school.

Thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazill, as he appears at the Palm Beach County Court Facility late May

The teen had been sent home early by another teacher for throwing water balloons. Police said he returned with a gun and, when Grunow denied him admittance to his classroom to say good-bye to two girls, shot the popular teacher once, killing him.

Krischer has said the killing was premeditated.

Brazill's defense attorney disputed that, saying the boy was not angry at Grunow.

A spokesman for the state's attorney said the grand jury could complete its work Monday afternoon.

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Lake Worth Community Middle School
  • Mr. Barry Grunow

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