11-16-2019, 12:37 AM
Juvenile criminal records are generally sealed by law enforcement from public release.
And, while there is no law prohibiting it, many news outlets refrain from publishing the names and photos of minors accused/convicted of crimes if they uncover and verify their identities, as a matter of policy.
In this case, the 16-year-old shooter (Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow) did not have a criminal record and was not charged with any crime before he died this afternoon.
However, he was accused of being the shooter and was caught on video carrying out the mass shooting. And, by state law, California law enforcement agencies have discretion to release the names of juveniles accused of crimes that are classified as serious or violent (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § § 827.2, 827.5, 827.6 (2014)), which would certainly apply in this case..
And, while there is no law prohibiting it, many news outlets refrain from publishing the names and photos of minors accused/convicted of crimes if they uncover and verify their identities, as a matter of policy.
In this case, the 16-year-old shooter (Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow) did not have a criminal record and was not charged with any crime before he died this afternoon.
However, he was accused of being the shooter and was caught on video carrying out the mass shooting. And, by state law, California law enforcement agencies have discretion to release the names of juveniles accused of crimes that are classified as serious or violent (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § § 827.2, 827.5, 827.6 (2014)), which would certainly apply in this case..