COCKEYSVILLE, Md. — A judge on Monday denied bail for Nicholas Browning, 15, who police say shot and killed his parents and two younger brothers as they slept, then returned a day later after spending time with friends to stage the discovery of their deaths.
Steve Silverman, attorney for the Boy Scout, cited Nicholas’ strong academic background and lack of a prior criminal record in seeking to have bail set at $1 million instead.
Officials believe the teen had shot his father, mother and brothers with one of his father’s guns Friday, then tossed the handgun in some bushes and left.
Friends dropped Nicholas off on Saturday, authorities said, and soon after, he came out of the house to say he had found his father’s body on the ground floor. He then called 911.
“A caller reported to 911 that a 45-year-old male was lying on the couch with blood coming out of his nose. He was not breathing,” charging documents said.
Shortly before 5 p.m., officers found Nicholas’ father dead in a ground-floor room and his mother’s and brothers’ bodies in upstairs bedrooms. They also found the gun. The victims were John, 45; Tamara, 44; Gregory, 13; and Benjamin, 11.
Police said Nicholas confessed early Sunday and was charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree murder. Nicholas was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson in a special section for juveniles.
Nicholas had not been getting along with his father, police said in a news release, but investigators offered no other details. There was no sign of a confrontation Friday at the house, police said.
Silverman asked people not to jump to conclusions about his client, noting Browning had repeatedly denied killing his family during hours of police interrogation before the alleged confession.
Silverman noted that Nicholas was an honor student, played varsity golf and lacrosse and was a skier.
Nicholas, who was tall and gangly, was working toward becoming an Eagle Scout, and had built a prayer garden at his church to meet one of the requirements.
Jennifer Welsh, who lived across the street from the family and whose son played lacrosse with Nicholas, described Nicholas as “a very polite, well-mannered, average teenage boy.”
“Nobody knows what goes on in his head and I guess we never will,” Welsh said.
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