Teens accused of plotting ‘Columbine style' attack at school in The Villages face judge

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — One of two teenagers who investigators said was plotting a Columbine-style shooting at the Villages Charter Middle School appeared in court Tuesday morning for a detention hearing.

State prosecutors asked for a continuance in the case of Zachary Shearon, 13.

A decision was not made on the continuance request. Shearon will be back in court later this month.

Shearon is one of two teens who plotted to shoot students at the middle school last month, Sumter County deputies said.

When the other teen suspect, Richard Hummer, 14, was questioned by deputies, he mentioned the 1999 shooting at Colorado's Columbine High School in which killed 12 students and a teacher.

Neither of the boys had weapons on them at the school, but guns were found at their homes, deputies said.

The teens are charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Hummer faced a judge Tuesday afternoon, also for a detention hearing. His case was continued to another date later this month.

"Please feel free to kiss my (explicative)," Hummer's father said to Channel 9's Myrt Price when he tried to get comment from Hummer's family.

"He misspoke and took part in a bad joke as an immature 8th grader," said Hummer's attorney, Ken Lewis. "He had no intent to act in this way. He was just acquiescing information he was receiving and let it be known to the other individuals that it was a joke and his intent wasn't to do anything."

Cox Media Group