Trial in Freeman school shooting case scheduled for Jan. 18

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A Spokane County judge has barred Caleb Sharpe from offering a diminished capacity defense for his trial stemming from the Freeman High School shooting in 2017. The decision by Judge Michael Price last Wednesday comes just weeks before Sharpe’s trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 18. The Spokesman-Review reported Tuesday that the judge in August denied Sharpe’s request to offer an insanity defense, saying the request was “very last minute.” Sharpe faces multiple counts including murder and assault stemming from the Sept. 13, 2017, shooting that killed 15-year-old Sam Strahan and injured three other students. Price has ruled Sharpe will be tried as an adult, despite being 15 when the shooting took place.