Trial set in school shooting

Bill Gang

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999 | 9:25 a.m.

A Jan. 24 trial has been set for 18-year-old Maynor Villanueva, who has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges in the shootings of two teenagers last month at Clark High School.

Monday's not-guilty plea was not surprising given that Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane had announced that his office intends to invoke a new law that could send the defendant to prison for life with no chance of parole if he is convicted. The law, which went into effect Oct. 1, raises the penalties for nonlethal shootings on school grounds to the same level as first-degree murder.

Villanueva, who is being held on $1 million bail until the trial, told Metro Police gang detective Dan Long after his arrest that he exchanged gang signs with the two victims and a fistfight resulted outside the school at Arville Street and Pennwood Avenue.

Long testified at a preliminary hearing earlier this month that Villanueva told how he had been jumped by several "enemies" and the only way to save himself was to pull a pistol and open fire.

Antonio Arroyo, 17, and Cesar Berber, 16, were each hit in an arm and each testified in court that Villanueva was the gunman.

But they said they were just standing at the high school near more than 30 other students when Villanueva walked up and opened fire without comment.

In addition to the attempted murder counts, Villanueva is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle over the alleged stolen getaway car that was wrecked in the flight from the school, and robbery over the alleged taking of a bicycle in a final bid for freedom.

Villanueva was arrested on the bicycle at an apartment complex near the school.

The defendant also is facing attempted murder charges in the shootings of two other teenagers through the front window of a home 10 days earlier as one of the victim's mothers watched.