In the hearing, the judge will determine whether or not prosecutors have sufficient evidence to take McKinney's case to trial. McKinney's defense is also hoping a judge will transfer the case from district court, where he is being charged as an adult, to juvenile court. On Monday, the judge determined that there is enough evidence in this case to go to trial. What's still being decided is whether McKinney will be tried as an adult or a juvenile. The first witness testifying in the hearing is the lead investigator on the case, who described the attack and McKinney's involvement.
The detective said McKinney told investigators that being a student at the STEM School was "the worst experience," and that he got "a lot of crap for being transgender.
The detective went on to explain McKinney told investigators that he has been hearing "voices" since he was 12 years old, and the voices tell him to cut himself, saying they tell him to "cut deeper. According to the detective, the voices also encourage McKinney to follow through with the attack. In his interview with investigators, McKinney said the voices say "this place deserves to be shot up.
The detective testified that Devon Erickson , the second suspect in the school shooting, wrote "the voices win" in red nail polish on a closet wall in Erickson's house when Erickson and McKinney were there just hours before the shooting. While McKinney's defense team was questioning the detective, they inquired about McKinney's alleged intent for the attack.
The detective explained that McKinney did say he hoped no one died during the attack. McKinney also allegedly told investigators that during the shooting, he was thinking about his father, who he believed had killed other people before, and that McKinney felt he was going to be "just like him.
