14-year-old accused in mass shooting plot at Kelso mall ordered released with conditions

A 14-year-old Clatskanie boy who is suspected of planning a mass massacre at a mall in Washington was ordered to be released by a Columbia County court on Monday.

Beau Michael Carr will be placed under electronic surveillance at his parents’ house with a number of restrictions, such as not leaving the house without a parent or other legal guardian present and not going near a shopping center.

Additionally, he must not be able to use the internet or any electronic devices, such as a tablet, smartphone, or smart TV.

Prosecutors have serious community safety concerns regarding his release, but they acknowledge the state’s limitations on juvenile confinement, Deputy District Attorney Sarika Kathuria told Circuit Judge Denise E. Keppinger.

According to state law, a minor can only be detained for 56 days unless there is unmistakable proof that they committed specific crimes, such as attempted murder, or they consent to be detained for a longer period of time.

Earlier this month, another Columbia County court ruled in Carr’s case that the state had not proven the 14-year-old had made a significant step toward committing an accused attempted murder.

Carr was taken into custody on May 22 after the FBI claimed that he had posted plans on the 764 extremist internet network under the username Zodiac99, stating that he would carry out a bombing and mass shooting at the Three Rivers Valley mall in Kelso before taking his own life.

According to FBI officials, Carr supplied a plan of the mall that depicted his intended route, with red Xs for shooting targets and black Xs for bombs. According to authorities, he planned to shoot people after setting off a chlorine bomb to flush them out of the mall’s movie theater.

According to the 14-year-old’s attorney, Chris Heywood, prosecutors requested a meeting with his counsel before to Monday’s hearing in order to assist in creating a release plan.

Heywood informed the judge that Carr has only seen his therapist once and his parents twice a week through plexiglass. Since his arrest, he has been housed in Cowlitz County’s juvenile detention facility.

According to Heywood, the 14-year-old will be able to receive frequent counseling after returning home.

Carr has entered a not guilty plea to charges of attempted assault, attempted second-degree murder, disorderly conduct, two counts of unauthorized firearm possession, two counts of unlawful weapon usage, and tampering with tangible evidence.

According to Keppinger, Carr is only permitted to leave the house for school-related reasons or to attend court, mental health, or legal appointments.

According to her, Carr’s house must be free of firearms, air weapons, knives, swords, and other potentially harmful weapons, as well as incendiary devices and substances that may be used to create explosives.

“Medication needs to be obtained, and Carr can’t leave Oregon without a juvenile counselor’s prior consent,” she said. According to her ruling, Carr is also prohibited from entering Clatskanie School District grounds, from using or possessing any drugs, alcohol, or inhalants, and from having access to automobile keys.

According to a statement from the Columbia County District counsel’s office, “We have worked closely with the juvenile department, law enforcement, and the youth’s attorney to ensure that his release conditions are as strict and structured as possible, while allowing time for the court process to move forward.”

July 31 is the date of his upcoming court appearance.

An FBI agent testified earlier this month that federal authorities hadn’t shared some information that would be favorable to the defense because it was still classified, and Circuit Judge Nickolas Brajcich refused to take any of the online chat posts Carr made into consideration when deciding whether to hold the teen on the attempted murder charge.

However, the agent reported that the 14-year-old repeatedly informed FBI investigators following his detention that he never planned to carry out the claimed scheme and that he felt stuck in the group chat, fearing that leaving would hurt him or his family. Additionally, the agent verified that the 14-year-old had been having private internet conversations with an undercover FBI agent.

Due to the state’s inability to establish the existence of an attempted murder, my client is being released. Heywood stated in an email following the hearing that this is not because the state’s lawyers are incompetent, but rather because the evidence does not support the claim that a fourteen-year-old ever made a real attempt to hurt someone. Our community was never in danger from my client, and his release hasn’t made it any less safe.

— Maxine Bernstein writes about criminal justice and federal courts. 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, X@maxoregonian, Bluesky@maxbernstein.bsky.social, and LinkedIn are some of her contact details.

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