West Liberty, Ohio - The 17-year-old boy suspected in an Ohio school shooting that injured two students made a mistake, but he's "not a monster," his sister said.
She told WHIO-TV that she doesn't know her brother's motives and that she hasn't had contact with him since Friday, when authorities allege he fired a 12-gauge shotgun at a high school in West Liberty, 45 miles northwest of Columbus.
"I just want everyone to know that he's not a monster. You know? He made a mistake," she said.
She said she was sorry about what happened and wishes "things could be different." She told the station that she never saw her brother, an athlete and animal-lover, as someone who would commit such an act.
The teen's attorney, Michael Pentecost, told the Springfield News-Sun he can't discuss his client's mental condition or possible motives.
The Associated Press isn't naming the suspect - or his sister - because it generally doesn't identify juveniles charged with crimes.
Superintendent Kraig Hissong said he and his staff weren't aware of any warning signs before the shooting occurred.
Authorities have said heroic school staffers stopped the shooter and pinned him down until police arrived. Sixteen-year-old student Logan Cole was critically wounded in the shooting and has been in stable condition at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.
Law enforcement and EMS wait outside after a shooting at West Liberty-Salem Schools in West Liberty, Ohio, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. A male student was shot and wounded was hospitalized Friday, and another student suspected in the shooting was in custody, officials said. (Marshall Gorby/Dayton Daily News via AP)
Logan was moved out of the hospital's intensive care unit Saturday night, according to a Facebook post by his father, Ryan Cole. Doctors are evaluating whether to perform surgery to remove a shotgun pellet lodged in a chamber of the boy's heart, Ryan Cole wrote Tuesday on Facebook.
A 17-year-old student also was struck but wasn't seriously hurt, Hissong said.
The teen suspect remains in custody. Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi has said the teen will face additional charges, including attempted murder. Talebi also has said he will seek to have the case moved from juvenile court to adult court.
The West Liberty-Salem school district resumed classes Tuesday with grief counselors on hand after a morning prayer vigil for Logan, Hissong said.
He has praised students and teachers for responding to the shooting and evacuating according to their emergency training.