A student who was tackled by a football coach after bringing a shotgun into an Oregon high school classroom has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.
Angel Granados-Diaz, 19, entered not guilty pleas Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court to possessing a firearm in a public building, discharging a firearm at a school, possessing a loaded firearm in public and reckless endangerment.
Defence attorney Adam Thayne said Wednesday after the hearing that depression played a role in the teen’s decision to bring the gun to a class at Parkrose High School in Portland May 17, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .
Thayne also cited unspecified mental health issues that led Granados-Diaz to, according to witnesses, pull out the gun from underneath a trench coat after walking into his fourth-period government class before lunch.
Thayne praised football coach and security guard Keanon Lowe who stopped Granados-Diaz from hurting himself or anybody else.
“He is a hero,” Thayne said. “Things I’ve heard from my client confirm the things that have been said.”
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Lowe said he had walked into the classroom about 20 seconds before Granados-Diaz that day and was looking for the student in response to a security call. Lowe was called because two students had told a staff member of “concerning behaviour” from Granados-Diaz, according to the Parkrose School District.
In college, Lowe was a star wide receiver at the University of Oregon, playing from 2011 to 2014.
Police say Granados-Diaz had a single round in his shotgun while on campus and wasn’t carrying any other weapons or ammunition. He didn’t fire the gun while at the school.
Under Oregon law, a person can be charged with discharge of a firearm if they’re accused of firing or trying to fire a gun.
The Associated Press
