Texas school shooting delays trial for Oshkosh West school stabbing

Grant Fuhrman appears in Winnebago County Court via video feed in 2019 to face an attempted homicide charge (WBAY photo)(WBAY)
Published: May. 27, 2022 at 2:29 PM CDT

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - A Winnebago County judge has delayed the trial of a former Oshkosh West High School student accused of stabbing a school resource officer. The reason? The elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Grant Fuhrman’s trial was scheduled to begin with jury selection next Tuesday.

Fuhrman’s defense filed a motion Thursday asking the judge to delay the trial, saying the outside influence of the Texas school shooting would make it impossible to find an unbiased jury right now. “The case in Uvalde, TX will be on every [summoned potential juror’s] mind during the jury selection on May 31, 2022,” the defense wrote in its motion to the judge.

“The length of time between the outside influence and the trial is critical. Here that time frame is mere days,” the motion continues.

A hearing in Winnebago County court is scheduled on June 7 to set a new date for a jury trial.

Fuhrman, who’s now 19, is accused of stabbing Officer Michael Wissink repeatedly with a barbecue fork at Oshkosh West in December, 2019. The criminal complaint says Fuhrman waited for Wissink to be alone in his office, then waited until Wissink’s back was to him so the officer wouldn’t “see it coming.” He also told investigators he thought Wissink wouldn’t be able to fight back but would “pass out or bleed out within a couple of seconds.” The officer fought back and shot and wounded Fuhrman.

Fuhrman is charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, which carries up to life in prison.

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