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ELY SERNA |
A judge ruled Friday that testimony of psychologists who evaluate the alleged shooter at West Liberty-Salem Schools will be shielded from public disclosure.
Ely Serna, 17, is charged with two counts of attempted murder and 11 other charges for the Jan. 20 school shooting that left Logan Cole, who is now 17, seriously injured.
Champaign County Juvenile Judge Lori Reisinger heard a motion to close the competency hearing for the alleged shooter. The request to close the entire proceeding, filed by defense attorney L. Michael Bly, was opposed by WDTN-TV (Channel 2) of Dayton with letters of support from other area media outlets.
Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi did not take a position on the matter.
Judge Reisinger ruled that the hearing, which is now scheduled for May 5, would remain open but any testimony or reports generated by psychologists would not be open to the public because of the private information.
Ely Serna was charged after taking an disassembled shotgun into the high school on the morning of Jan. 20. After assembling the gun in a restroom, Logan Cole entered and was shot, authorities have said.
The alleged shooter then went in to the hallway and fired additional rounds causing minor injuries to student Adam Schultz before returning to the restroom where Logan reportedly convinced him to end his plot.
He admitted the shooting, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
In addition to the attempted murder, Ely Serna is charged with three counts of felonious assault; six counts of improperly discharging a firearm in a school; and single counts of inducing panic and illegal conveyance of a firearm into a school.
The prosecutor wants to try the student as an adult but the scheduled competency hearing is a bar that will allow Judge Reisinger to decide whether to keep the case in her own court or move it to adult court.