WEST CHESTER — A lawyer who says he represents the sole teenager charged in the shooting attack on a Chester County school bus contends that his client is being wrongly accused of being involved in the alleged conspiracy to target a person on that school bus.
“There have been a number of reports that are just not true,” said defense attorney Vincent J. Caputo of West Chester in a telephone interview on Tuesday about Jaki White-Marshall, who is charged with aggravated assault and related counts in the school bus shooting from last week.
“Jaki was merely present at the scene to watch a fight that he learned about on social media that was going to occur,” Caputo said, describing the fight-to-be as a fistfight. “Jaki was not involved in this. There is nothing to indicate that my client had a ‘meeting of the minds’ or took a substantial step in this conspiracy.
“He had no idea that there were any firearms involved at all,” Caputo stated. “He had not idea that anybody was going to fire at a school bus.”
Police continue to search for three youths they believe are part of a quartet that attacked the Krapf School Bus Company bus on Thursday afternoon after it stopped on Hope Street near Madison Street in Coatesville’s West End. A total of eight shots were fired by two of the group, police say, with two hitting the bus. No one was injured.
“We continue to urge witnesses who have information to come forward by calling 610-384-2300,” said Chester County District Attorney Christopher deBarrena-Sarobe, who on Friday had urged the three other to turn themselves in to police.
The district attorney declined to respond to Caputo’s remarks about White-Marshall.
White-Marshall, 17, of Coatesville, is being held at the Chester County Youth Detention Center on $1 million bail after his arrest on Thursday. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Gregory Hines last week on 32 counts of aggravated assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury, reflecting the number of people — high school students and a Krapf School Bus Company driver – who were on board the school bus when the attack by four youths occurred.
White-Marshall, who was identified as a student at the high school, was also charged with 313 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, disorderly conduct and conspiracy. DeBarrena-Sarobe has stated that he will be charged as an adult.
Here are the facts that are currently confirmed: The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. Thursday after the high school let out for the day in the area of Hope Avenue and Madison Street in Coatesville. Four actors wearing masks were involved in the incident. One of those actors fired six shots. Another actor fired two shots. Two different guns were fired.
Caputo told a reporter that he wanted to clarify misinformation that was reported about his client. First, he said that White-Marshall was not involved with the other three men in the shooting. Second, he said that contrary to reports from authorities, White-Marshall is not currently a student at Coatesville Area Senior High. Third, he said that White-Marshall had gone to the scene of the shooting by himself, and not with the other three, who Caputo said arrived in a white Honda that was parked around the corner from where the shooting took place.
Caputo said that investigators had relied on the statement of one witness, a woman, who said all four arrived together. “That is 100-percent false,” he said, although acknowledging that White-Marshall was indeed at the scene. “He arrived at the scene by himself.”
A source with knowledge of the incident said the shooting was in response to a fight between students at CASH that occurred on Tuesday.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.
Source: Berkshire mont
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