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Andrews Trial to the Jury

Kevin Schmidt, Quad City Times

The case of an Eldridge boy who took a gun to school last year has now gone to a jury. Closing arguments were held Tuesday morning in Davenport for 13 year old Luke Andrews who's accused of attempted murder and other charges. 

Assistant Scott County Attorney Julie Walton says on August 31st, Andrews pointed a gun at a teacher at North Scott Junior HIgh School, and pulled the trigger twice. And that shows "intent" as defined in the law. 

"He expected to set in motion a force or chain of events that would cause or result in the death of another person. There was a gun and it didn't go off. Thank God."

And that's why the jury should find him guilty.

But defense attorney Melanie Thwing says Andrews knew how to operate the handgun, and knew that the safety was on. 

"The facts are that Luke made a bad decision because he wanted attention. He brought a gun to school, he knew how the safety worked, and he engaged the safety."

And that's more than enough reasonable doubt on the charge of attempted murder.

She conceded he's guilty of the other two charges - assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a weapon on school grounds. 

Andrews is being tried in adult court, but as a youthful offender

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.