Preliminary hearing for alleged school shooter from East Mt. Airy scheduled for March

The preliminary hearing for a Philadelphia teenager who allegedly shot two students inside an Olney high school is now scheduled for March 17.

At around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 17, Raisheem Rochwell allegedly fired a handgun inside the gym at Delaware Valley Charter High School on Old York Road. A single bullet struck a female and male student.

Rochwell, 17, of East Mt. Airy, turned himself in to police the next day. He has been charged with aggravated assault and related weapons offenses.

Following Thursday’s hearing inside Family Court, Rochwell’s attorney Amato T. Sanita said all parties, including the District Attorney’s Office, are still investigating the incident.

“We’re trying to find out who exactly is involved and how things actually occurred,” said Sanita.

Police have described the shooting as an accident. Sanita declined to characterize it one way or the other, but said, “We certainly are not going to assert that anything was intentional.”

Another Philadelphia teen, Donte Walker, 18, has also been charged in connection with the shooting.

Walker, a former Delaware Valley student, allegedly provided Rochwell with the handgun. Police say Walker was caught on camera handing off the firearm to an unidentified male just before the shooting.

The gun was then allegedly handed off to Rochwell.

Walker was charged with possession of a firearm and delivering a firearm in a school.