Trial for teen Arlington Lamar High School shooting suspect put on hold

FORT WORTH, Texas - The trial for a teen accused of killing a classmate and injuring another student in a shooting outside Lamar High School in Arlington has been put on hold so the suspect can undergo a mental evaluation.

Jury selection was set to begin Friday, but just as potential jurors gathered, Judge Alex Kim suddenly stopped the proceedings. Instead, the judge ordered a mental evaluation and pushed the trial back to mid-September.

"We were set to begin with the jury selection [Friday]," Kim said.

Judge Kim then told the 110 people in the potential jury pool there was an unexpected issue.

"There was an issue that came up where there was a matter that needed to be addressed before we actually start the trial to ensure that everyone's rights are protected," Kim said.

The suspect, who is now 16, but was 15 at the time of the shooting, reportedly opened fire outside the school before classes started back in March. The gunfire killed 16-year-old Ja'Shawn Poirier and grazed another student.

In June, the judge decided the teen should not be tried as an adult for capital murder. Instead, his case will play out inside the Tarrant County Juvenile Justice Center.

His name is not being released because he is considered a minor.

The accused teen gunman would have faced up to life in prison if convicted had he been tried as an adult. Now he faces up to 40 years in prison.

The issue that caused the delay and mental evaluation wasn’t released, but FOX 4 learned of an alleged incident - potentially criminal - took place Thursday night.

"Due to those allegations, it would appear that my client is under some sort of mental or emotional distress," said Lisa Herrick, who is lead attorney representing the teen suspect. "If he's continuing to feel this level of emotional and mental distress that he was feeling last night, then our concern is for his safety and his ability to participate in this trial to the degree that we need him to."

Microphones were silenced during a brief hearing. The juvenile departments assistant psychologist told the court the high schooler might have trouble communicating with lawyers right now.

Judge Kim decided on a "fitness to proceed evaluation."

"With one of the concerns being his ability to participate or communicate with council," Kim said.

What happened Friday is something a longtime attorney said he's never seen in the juvenile system.

[REPORTER: Have you, in your many juvenile cases, experienced something like this right at jury selection?"]

"Not in a juvenile case, but in many adult cases, I have," attorney George Ashford said.

Ashford, who is not part of this case, said once attorneys raise the concern, the judge is bound to address it.

"In any trial, an individual has to be competent to stand trial and that basically means they have to understand what's going on. They have to understand who the judge is, they have to understated what's trying to be done by the prosecutor, and they have to be able to communicate with their attorney so that they can help in their defense," Ashford explained.

That hearing to determine whether the 16-year-old is fit to proceed is set for September 11.

If there is nothing that stops the trial again, jury selection is rescheduled for September 15, with the trial set to start September 18.

FOX 4 spoke to Poirier's mother in April. She said she hopes the shooter gets the harshest possible sentence.

"The kid knew what he was doing. And if he knew what he was doing, then it was premeditated. So, you need to serve the consequences," Rashone Jacob said.

Detectives said the suspect claimed he was sexually assaulted a few months before the shooting.

The alleged assault happened before Poirier moved to North Texas, and police said they have not been able to verify the claim.