BENTON, Ky. — The 15-year-old accused of killing two classmates with a handgun in a school shooting that left 18 others bleeding and broken was ordered held Thursday on preliminary charges of murder and assault.

The juvenile court judge found probable cause to keep detaining the teenager as authorities gather evidence to support trying him as an adult for the attack at Marshall County High School.

And while the legal process began for the suspect, others in the small rural community worked to show solidarity with the victims.

Vicki Jo Reed painted a “Marshall Strong” sign on a storefront, and reflected on her grandson’s close call. “Had a grandson that was in the commons area through the whole thing, and he, like all the other kids, is not handling it very good,” she said

Authorities are gathering evidence for a grand jury, hoping to discover why the suspect fired into a crowd of his classmates, all 14 to 18, as they waited for the morning bell.

Thursday’s closed-door hearing begins a journey through the criminal justice system that is slightly more complicated than it would be if the suspect were an adult charged with the same crimes. After an initial series of hearings in juvenile court, which is closed to the public and the records sealed under Kentucky law, the case will be presented to a grand jury that next meets on Feb. 13.

If the grand jury returns an indictment, the case will move to circuit court, at which point the prosecution will proceed like an criminal trial. But the boy will have some protections: the law requires that he remain at a juvenile jail, not in the general population of a county facility. And if he’s found guilty, he will not face the most severe sentences.