A man who helped shoot and kill four students and a teacher at a Jonesboro, Arkansas school and served only seven years in prison is now facing new weapons charges. Mitchell Johnson pleaded not guilty to federal charges of possession of a firearm while being a user of a controlled substance.
Johnson and another man were arrested during a traffic stop in January 2007 when police found marijuana and weapons in his vehicle. The two were first charged under state law, but those charges were dropped at the request of federal officials.
Prosecutor Brian Lamb told reporters that he dropped the state charges because he thought federal prosecutors were going to charge Johnson with a felony, but they did not.
Johnson and Andrew Golden were convicted of the 1998 shootings of four students and a teacher at their middle school when Johnson was 13 and Golden 11. They were tried and convicted in juvenile court. Johnson was released from prison when he turned 21 years old under a loophole in the law that has since been closed.
See Also:
Jonesboro School Shooter Back in Court
Earlier Article:
Arkansas School Shooter to Be Released
Photo: Mug Shot
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