‘Rush to judgment’: Attorney says teenager charged in Coatesville bus shooting is innocent

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The lawyer representing the lone teenager charged in Thursday’s school bus shooting in Coatesville claims his client is innocent.

Chester County authorities are searching for three other suspects. Attorney Vincent J. Caputo said 17-year-old Jaki White-Marshall believed he was going to witness a fight that had been mentioned on social media.

Caputo claims his client arrived near Hope Avenue Thursday afternoon — alone — in his grandmother’s white sedan and left the scene in the opposite direction when two individuals fired at the school bus as it was dropping off students.

“In no way did Jaki collude, conspire, agree or even participate in any of the actions of the other three,” Caputo said.

In total, the suspects fired eight shots, two of which struck the bus. No one was injured. Prosecutors believe the suspects were targeting a student exiting the bus.

County detectives arrested White-Marshall on Friday. He is facing several charges including aggravated assault, conspiracy and reckless endangerment. White-Marshall is currently being held at the Chester County Youth Center.

Caputo wants the charges against his client dismissed.

“At this time, there is no evidence to show that he conspired or took a substantial step — or took a substantial act in the conspiracy to commit this crime,” Caputo said.

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Caputo’s stance. An agency spokesperson said in email that White-Marshall will be charged as an adult and that the investigation is ongoing.

Caputo said there’s been a “rush to judgment” based on his client’s prior record and faulty witness testimony. White-Marshall and the other three individuals were all captured on camera wearing masks.

The attorney said one of the reasons White-Marshall wore a mask was because “he’s afraid for his own safety.”

The Coatesville Area School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A preliminary hearing for the case has been scheduled for Oct. 23.