Terror case ends with plea, probation

Published 7:06 pm Tuesday, December 11, 2018

BEAUMONT — A former Port Neches-Groves High School student has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor terrorist threat and received two years deferred probation.

Triston Miller, 19, was originally charged with felony terroristic threat for reportedly threatening to shoot and kill classmates on the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. He was indicted in May 2017.

    Triston Miller

Deferred probation means Miller’s case will be dismissed and he will be eligible to seal his record upon successful completion of probation. Judge Larry Gist heard the case in the Drug Impact Court.

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Miller’s attorney, Dustin Galmor, said that between legal fees, bondsman fees and GPS device fees, he and his family have spent around $12,000.

Miller was finishing his junior year when the incident occurred. A former honors student who had already completed 15 college credit hours and had a 3.7 grade point average, he missed his entire senior year of high school.

“He was unable to participate in homecoming, prom, graduation, scholarships and all of the other things we all remember doing as a senior in high school,” Glamor said.

A probable cause affidavit shows that on April 13, 2017, a school official received information from a student about a possible terroristic threat against students and teachers at the high school. The student reportedly talked to other students about shooting up the high school on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting, even going into detail about shooting students after lunch in a certain hallway because they would be trapped.

The student reportedly tried to recruit two students to help him.

As for the future, Miller is registered for college and has learned some lessons.

“He certainly realizes that you have to be careful what you talk about and where you talk about it. Although he never intended to scare anyone, he understands the sensitive nature of school shootings,” he said. “If he could go back in time he would have never had that discussion.”

The attorney said Miller is thankful that the District Attorney’s office offered the plea deal that he accepted and he looks forward to proving to himself and the community that he can and will do well on probation.