A student from Lexington, Kentucky appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Monday on a charge with second-degree terroristic threatening. Timothy Felker, 18, was accused of threatening to shoot his classmates at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Felker pleaded not guilty.
New details of the incident were released in court on Monday. Felker allegedly used money that his mother gave him for a tattoo on an AR-15 rifle instead. Lexington police detective Sean Stafford said, "Around Christmas or December 2017 is when he purchased the AR-15 with money that his mom gave him for a tattoo, and that he also purchased 500 rounds of ammunition." The judge sent the case to a grand jury because of probable cause after hearing court testimony.
Three students heard Felker make some disturbing threats, said police. The 18-year-old admitted that he said he would shoot up the school because he had been bullied. His mother said she was not aware of such threats. "Ms. Felker stated that Timothy does have some anger problems but she could not see him being violent and didn't feel like he would harm anyone else," said Stafford.
Felker had posted photos on social media of the AR-15 he purchased, including a picture of the gun in his mouth.
Felker was stopped at Blue Grass Airport on a return to Lexington. Authorities obtained a mental health petition on Feb. 19, and he was then sent to Eastern State Hospital for an evaluation. Police took 500 rounds of ammunition and the rifle from Felker's home, according to court documents.
