School yard testimony

One

"Your honor, I would like to call Miss Amanda Mcalester to the witness stand" the prosecution lawyers voice was calm and even, unlike Amanda, who was shaking as she stood and sat, putting her hand on the Bible.

"Miss Mcalester, you were present when the shooting occurred, correct?"
"That's correct"

"Okay, we'll come back to that" the lawyer was moving around a bit, looking at the jury every now and then "did you know any of the deceased victims?"
"Yes" Amanda answered, her voice cracking.
"How did you know them?"
"Sarah sat next to me in second and fourth period. Shawn was my brothers friend, and also on the football team, and I'm the cheer captain, so we know each other" Amanda took a breath.
"And Alex was my brother"

The court room was quiet
"Can you tell us how everything happened?"
"I was standing outside the main doors of the school, like everyday, with Shawn and a couple of the other football players, along with Jennie, my friend"

Chatter filled the air, everyone relieved the school day was over.
There was maybe two Hundred students standing around the parking lot and the grass.

Amanda and her friends stood thirty five feet away from the doors of the school.

Nothing seemed different that day. Nothing about the air told anyone what was about to happen.

As Landon cracked another joke, Amanda laughed, following with her own joke.

But out of nowhere there was the sound that signaled the start of chaos.

"It's nothing like in the movies. It's not a huge Bang" Amanda cried looking at her fingers "it was more of a pop. Pop. Pop"

"Then everyone started to scream and run. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know I had been shot. I was to wrapped up in the screams"

"Oh my god, Amanda!" Jennie shrieked in terror.
Only then did Amanda get hit with the unbearable pain in her side, crumpling to the unreasonably hard ground.

"Get to the doors" Alex, Amanda recognized her big brothers voice.

"Alex?" The girl, who was covered in blood, cried.
"I'm right here. You're gonna be fine" Alex carefully, yet frantically, cradled her in his arms as he ran.

"Alex, it hurts so bad" the raven haired girl sobbed into her brothers chest.
"I know. I'm so sorry, Amanda. But you're gonna be OK"

They were in the building, the sounds of gunshots still ringing outside. Shawn behind them and Jennie in front of them, around a corner, holding a door open.

There was another shot. But this time it was closer, and followed by the pained yell of Shawn, then a sickening thud as he crumpled to the floor.

"I looked over Alex's shoulder, just before we turned the corner, and feet behind Shawn, was the one who shot him"

"Can you tell me what he looked like?"
"He was wearing all black. Black pants. Black long sleeved tshirt. Black leather gloves, they could have been fake leather, And a black ski mask. He looked to be around five foot, seven inches. Maybe eight inches. He had square shoulders. Wasn't incredibly musclier but he wasn't lanky"

"So, he bared a striking resemblance to the defendant Jonathan brown? Or even Dylan wood?" The lawyer asked

Amanda looked over at the three boys being tried for the shooting. They all went to her school. She had even spoken to them once or twice.

"Yes sir"
"Okay, what happened next?"
"He.. he raised the gun and.. and.." the young girl broke into sobs.

"This girl has been through a living nightmare. The court is here by dismissed for a recess. Meet back here in two hours" the judge hit the gavel and everyone started to filter out.