Teen charged in S Carolina school shooting pleads not guilty

ANDERSON, S.C. – A teen has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the killing of a first-grader nearly two years ago on a South Carolina elementary school playground.

Jesse Osborne was in court Thursday in Anderson County to be formally arraigned on charges he killed his father before heading to Townville Elementary School and shooting at children on the playground in September 2016.

Osborne didn’t speak during the brief hearing. His lawyer, Frank Eppes, entered a plea of not guilty on Osborne’s behalf and told the judge there was a lot of work to do before bringing the case to a resolution.

Osborne was 14 at the time of the shooting. He turns 16 on Saturday. He is being tried as an adult.