A teen has been taken into custody in connection with the Olathe shooting death of Brianna Higgins, a Lawrence High School sophomore, according to police.
Olathe police posted an update Tuesday stating that a 17-year-old boy had been taken into custody on suspicion of second-degree homicide in connection with Brianna’s death, and that no further information was available.
A spokesperson for the Johnson County district attorney’s office said Wednesday that the office has no comment at this time when asked whether formal charges have been filed.
Brianna was shot on Jan. 19 in Olathe near the 16900 block of West 127th Street. She was taken to the hospital, where she died, according to an earlier news release from Olathe police. Police were contacted at the Olathe Medical Center, where officers and hospital staff attempted lifesaving measures, but Brianna did not survive.
Brianna, 15, was “a beautiful, bright soul, definitely the light of the room,” according to an online fundraiser launched by her family to help pay for her funeral.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe page had raised almost $9,000 of its $20,000 goal. That’s online at gofundme.com/f/brianna-rachell-higgins.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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