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A mother who warned officials her son was taking a gun to school now faces felony charges

The mother, whose teenage son died by suicide at a middle school, faces charges that include felony neglect of a dependent.
Authorities, including State Police, gather following a shooting at Dennis Intermediate School in Richmond
Authorities, including State Police, gather following a shooting at Dennis Intermediate School in Richmond, Indiana, on Dec. 13, 2018.NBC News

An Indiana mother who alerted authorities that her teenage son was headed to a middle school with a gun last year before he opened fire and then died by suicide was arrested Tuesday for neglect of a dependent and other charges, according to police.

Mary York, 43, was charged Friday with five counts of felony neglect of a dependent, one count of felony dangerous control of a child and one misdemeanor count of criminal recklessness, according to a statement from Indiana State Police.

She turned herself in on Tuesday, and was booked at the Wayne County Jail.

Mary York, the mother of a teenage boy who died by suicide inside Dennis Intermediate School in December.
Mary York, the mother of a teenage boy who died by suicide inside Dennis Intermediate School in December.WTHR

York called police in December to report that her teenage son was headed to Dennis Intermediate School in Richmond with a gun, according to NBC affiliate WTHR and police.

Officers from multiple agencies were immediately dispatched to the school, where they found the teen shooting out a glass door before entering the building.

Police chased after him, and when they surrounded him in a stairwell, "he made the unfortunate decision to take his own life," according to State Police. No one else was injured during the incident.

Two investigations into the incident resulted in the charges brought by Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman against York. It's unclear if she has a lawyer.

York had told police that her son suffered from depression prior to the tragedy, but that she had removed him from an inpatient treatment program because of the cost, according to court documents obtained by WTHR.

Records say he had expressed a desire to go to the school and kill students that had bullied him, and he heard voices that told him to kill others, then himself.

The court documents said York failed to prevent her son from gaining access to firearms despite knowing of his mental state.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.