McKinney, who was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, was sentenced as an adult and faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison. McKinney was born female but identifies as a male, and goes by Alec. Castillo, 18, was killed in the shooting after he and two other students rushed one of the shooters who opened fire in the classroom. Kendrick's father, John Castillo, said McKinney's guilty plea was the outcome for which he had been hoping, and as for the sentence McKinney received, Castillo said, "it's what's to be expected.
John Castillo testified at the sentencing hearing, saying he wanted McKinney to receive the maximum sentence possible. I will never find peace. Due to the pandemic, McKinney was not physically in the courtroom for the sentencing hearing, but rather appeared on a live video chat - his face up on a large TV screen for the entire courtroom to see. The father of Lucas Albertoni, one of the students who was shot and injured, asked the DA to read a statement for the court, which explained how it's too risky for doctors to remove the bullets from Albertoni's body, so he will forever live with the effects of lead poisoning.
One teacher who testified at Friday's sentencing hearing, Lauren Harper, was in the room where the shooting occurred. Harper also described what she saw during the shooting, saying, "we held, quite physically, each other's wounds. I hope that you suffer. Another student who witnessed the shooting, Isabelle Perochini, also did not mince words in her testimony, speaking directly at McKinney.
Wearing a navy blue shirt, McKinney was crying the entire time all witnesses were giving testimony during the Friday's sentencing hearing. The Castillo family walked out of the courtroom and did not listen to the remainder of her testimony.
I hope there is some leniency. According to the district attorney, "due to changes in Colorado law in by the state legislature, the mandatory minimum sentence for year-old McKinney is life with possibility of parole after 40 years, minus earned time.
