Madison students sentenced for not reporting gun in school shooting

Two Madison Jr./Sr. High School students have been sentenced for failure to report a crime in connection with a Butler County school shooting.

The boys, both 14 at the time of the incident, were charged after investigators determined they knew Austin Hancock, 15, a Madison Jr./Sr. High School eighth-grader, brought a loaded gun to school on Feb. 29 and they failed to tell authorities.

The boys said they saw Hancock’s gun several times the day of the shooting, according to a police investigation.

In August, the boys entered a true plea to the misdemeanor charges before Butler County Juvenile Court Magistrate Patricia Wilkerson.

On Wednesday, they were given a stayed 30-day sentence in the juvenile detention facility if they complied with the terms of intensive probation, according to Rob Clevenger, court administrator.

The terms of probation include completing 30 hours of community service and participating in specific sessions targeted at decision making.

Both students are allowed to return to school this fall. Also, their cell phones — confiscated by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation of the school shooting — will be returned.

Hancock, who entered a true plea in April to four counts of attempted murder and inducing panic, was sentenced to juvenile detention until he is 21 years old. He will be free at age 21 unless he causes problems in juvenile custody, which could lead to possible time in the adult prison system.

Two students in the cafeteria were hit by bullets from Hancock’s gun and two others were injured while escaping.

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