Amanda Allison
Cody Lynn Gorecke
CLEBURNE Co. Ark. --(KTHV) Cody Lynn Gorecke, 19, is now charged with 2nd degree murder after allegedly shooting a 17-year-old girl in Cleburne County.
The hallways at Vilonia High School were empty on Monday. Students were out for MLK day. Teachers though were at work, preparing for an emotional Tuesday.
School principal Andy Ashley says, "I don't know if there will be a lot of learning academically going on tomorrow [Tuesday] but there will be a lot of life learning."
The senior class is now one student short. Amanda Allison, 17, was shot dead at a party Saturday.
Sheriff Marty Moss explains, "I can't imagine that knock on my door telling me that my daughter is not in this world anymore."
Crime scene tape still hangs at the rural Cleburne County home. The suspect lives there. He's 19-year-old Cody Gorecke. He and the victim were friends.
Harry Ponder works next door and says this is the first time for violent crime here.
He says, "That is totally uncharacteristic of this whole area."
Police say the weapon was a sawed of shot gun. Allison was hit once. Wednesday would have been her 18th birthday. Instead, her family is planning her funeral.
Ashley says, "Just a quality young lady that was just a joy to be around."
School staff is also grieving for Allison's father. He's the school's math teacher. Ashley says he's ready to return to work.
"He made the statement y'all are my family too and that he needed to get back and see the kids and feel the support."
Allison's sister is a student there too. Staff says she's already planning to warn her classmates about the dangers of underage drinking. It's a grim reminder that life can change in an instant.
"Lost hopes and dreams," explains Ashley.
Deputies won't say if the suspect was drinking at the party, but because he's a minor, he's also charged with possession of alcohol. Meanwhile, investigators say the bullet that hit the victim also hit someone else. That person is ok. Gorecke faces an aggravated assault charge for that. Other charges include possession of an illegal firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A motive has not been released. Deputies haven't said if the shooting was accidental or intentional.
Allison went to Vilonia High School because her father is a teacher there but lives in Cabot.