GOLDEN, Colo.—A preliminary hearing for a man accused of shooting and wounding two students at a Colorado middle school has been postponed to give defense attorneys more time to review evidence.
Public defenders for Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood, 32, said Tuesday they are reviewing about 2,000 pages in the case, including copies of journals that investigators removed from his bedroom. Public defender Katherine Spengler said some copies were unreadable.
Spengler also sought more details of the victims’ injuries.
The preliminary hearing was reset for April 28 for Jefferson County Judge Thomas Vance to consider whether there is enough evidence against Eastwood for the case to proceed. Eastwood is being held on $1 million cash bail.
Eastwood is accused of opening fire Feb. 23 outside Deer Creek Middle School, not far from the site of the deadly 1999 shootings at Columbine High School. Eighth-graders Reagan Weber and Matt Thieu were wounded before teachers tackled Eastwood.
Eastwood faces 15 counts including attempted murder, assault, unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds, and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. He has not yet entered a plea.
A closed hearing is scheduled Thursday for Vance to consider a defense motion seeking to bar sheriff’s officials from giving prosecutors records of their observations of Eastwood’s actions in jail.
Spengler contends the records contain confidential medical information and shouldn’t be shared. Prosecutors and sheriff’s officials disagree. All declined to discuss details of the records outside the courtroom.
Wearing his orange prison jumpsuit and a goatee, Eastwood spoke quietly with his attorneys and answered questions from the judge Tuesday but didn’t make other statements before being returned to jail.
Sheriff’s officials haven’t released a motive in the shootings. According to an affidavit, Eastwood told investigators of a history of hearing voices.
