Bryan Oliver made his first court appearance at an arraignment hearing in Bakersfield. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of premeditated attempted murder and three counts of assault with a firearm.
He only spoke once to say, "Yes sir your honor" when the judge asked him if he understood the charges against him.
Investigators say Oliver walked into a science classroom last Thursday armed with a shotgun belonging to his older brother and shot a 16-year-old student athlete in the chest. The victim suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Oliver then fired two more shots at students, but missed. A teacher and a school supervisor were able to convince Oliver to put down the shotgun, authorities say.
Authorities say the motive for the shooting may be that the suspect was bullied.
At Taft High School on Monday, the campus was quiet even though counselors were made available for a couple of hours. Classes resume on Tuesday morning.
If Oliver is convicted on one of the attempted murder counts, he faces a maximum of 25 years to life in state prison.
