Criminal Justice and Juvenile Offenders

Authorities in Indiana have charged 17‑year‑old Morristown High School senior Alexis Pickett and 17‑year‑old Melanie Little of Corinth, Mississippi, as adults with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at Morristown High School. According to a probable‑cause affidavit, the pair discussed the attack for months on Discord, with Pickett sending Little video of the school’s layout and talking about staging the shooting around graduation on or about May 25, 2026. The investigation began in December after Pickett’s mother, Rhonda Nicholson, went to sheriff’s deputies with concerns about her daughter’s fixation on past school shooters, online conversations, and apparent intent to harm herself or others; the prosecutor credits her with likely saving lives and is publicly urging parents to monitor their children’s online activity. Investigators say Pickett admitted long‑standing suicidal thoughts and a desire to hurt others, owned at least a muzzleloader, and shared images of shooting targets hit with a shotgun and .357 revolver, while the teens discussed but had not finalized how to obtain additional guns. Pickett is being held in Indiana on $1 million cash bond with trial set for April 20, while Little was arrested in Mississippi, has refused to waive extradition, and faces transfer to Indiana to stand trial, with each main charge carrying a potential 20‑ to 40‑year prison sentence.