15 year old enters plea in school shooting:

15-year-old Christian Helms was set to go to trial yesterday for shooting a gun in Socastee High School at point-blank range at the school’s resource officer. Instead, he entered an Alford plea. An Alford plea is basically like pleading no contest. It means that the defendant knows the prosecution has enough evidence to convict but the defendant isn’t pleading guilty. However, reports state that as far sentencing goes that the Alford plea is the same as pleading guilty.

Helms was charged as an adult and is looking at a max of 60 years. 30 for the attempted murder charge and 30 for the two bomb charges since Helms brought pipe bombs along with him to school.

He’s scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday.