BROWNSTOWN – Emiliano Cuevas-Bravo, 18, of Seymour entered a not guilty plea during his initial hearing Tuesday in Jackson Circuit Court. He faces 15 criminal charges, including seven Level 1 felonies of attempted murder, stemming from a shooting at the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour last week.
The incident occurred on April 30th at the downtown Seymour library. According to a probable cause affidavit, Cuevas-Bravo allegedly fired a shotgun through a glass wall into a circulation desk, injuring a clerk in the upper left arm. A second clerk was unharmed.
Police arrested Cuevas-Bravo inside the library after a patron detained him. Investigators stated the shotgun jammed after the initial shot. They also reported finding 95 additional shotgun shells and a pipe bomb in the teen’s possession.
Court documents revealed that Cuevas-Bravo told police he had been feeling lonely and depressed and had developed an interest in the Columbine High School shooting. He had allegedly planned to carry out a shooting at Seymour High School, his alma mater, on April 30th, the anniversary of Hitler’s death, targeting a school resource officer and students. He reportedly drove to the high school with the shotgun and a pipe bomb but changed his target to the library after seeing a teacher he knew.
At the library, after allegedly shooting the clerk, Cuevas-Bravo attempted to light a fire using motor oil before being tackled by a patron.
Jackson Circuit Judge Richard R. Poynter entered the not guilty plea and set a trial date for October 21st. A Level 1 felony in Indiana carries a potential sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Cuevas-Bravo is currently being held without bond. A bond hearing is scheduled after Seymour High School’s graduation on June 1st.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
