The 13-year old student charged in May’s Noblesville school shooting will make an admission to the crime at his next court hearing.

The suspect’s attorney, Chris Eskew, says the admission in juvenile court is equivalent to a guilty plea in adult criminal court.

“Except you are not admitting guilt because you have not been charged with a crime,” Eskew says. “So he is not being convicted of anything, he is making admissions to the allegations that the state has brought against him.”

The suspect, which has not been named because he is a juvenile, faces charges from the Noblesville West Middle School shooting that injured teacher Jason Seaman and seventh grader Ella Whistler.

Those charges would be two felony counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery using a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm on school property. But since the student is younger than 14 and not charged with murder, he cannot be tried as an adult, according to Indiana law.

Eskew says there is no “plea deal” with the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. The judge, he says, is free to determine the rehabilitation.

The judge can determine if the defendant should be placed under the wardship of the Department of Corrections until rehabilitation programs are completed, and/or ordered to receive psychological or other medical care, or other actions.

The suspect is next due in Hamilton County Circuit Court on November 5.  Eskew expects the court will hear testimony.