MIAMI -- Police said a teenager confessed Tuesday to killing a schoolmate whose body was found by other students inside a boys' restroom.

Michael Hernandez, 14, (pictured at left) waived his right to appear in juvenile court Wednesday afternoon. Prosecutors are asking for three weeks to decide whether to seek a grand jury indictment, or to try the teen as an adult in the killing of Jaime Rodrigo Gough, also 14, who died at Southwood Middle School in the Palmetto Bay section of Miami-Dade County on Tuesday.

Judge William Johnson set another hearing for Feb. 24 for prosecutors to report back.

"The child should remain in secure detention," Johnson said. Hernandez, who did not attend the hearing, was represented by a public defender, who declined comment. Prosecutors also declined comment.

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Classmate Admits Killing Teen

The teen is charged with first-degree murder, which indicates premeditation. He reportedly signed a confession Tuesday after police interviewed him for several hours.

Students on Monday expressed shock at the crime, saying Hernandez and Gough were "the best of friends" and that neither boy was known to cause trouble. A classmate of the teens, Genesis Llapur, who says she dated Hernandez called him "always respectful" and "nice."

Police were called to the school at around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday after a group of students found Gough severely injured with a stabbing or slashing neck wound and lying on the floor of a second-floor boys restroom at the school.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units were unable to save Gough, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

**NEW IMAGES ADDED** Slideshow:Teen Slain At South Florida Middle School

Police on Wednesday said the teen suspect signed a written confession in the killing and that the alleged murder weapon, a serrated knife, was found inside the student's backpack.

The teen was being represented by a public defender.

A school official told NBC 6 News the two boys were "very close friends" and that neither boy had gotten into trouble at the school before. Police did not offer a possible motive in the killing.

A hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in juvenile court Wednesday to determine whether to charge the teen as an adult.

In Florida, juveniles charged with first-degree murder are usually tried as adults. The teen could receive a life prison sentence without parole if convicted.

It was not known Wednesday afternoon whether the teen had an attorney.

Classmates remembered Gough as a shy, straight-A student who was sometimes picked on by other kids.

Larishea Bivens, an eighth-grader who said she has known Jaime for five years, said he was a shy boy who often was bullied by students.

"He was nice, smart, but they used to pick on him a lot," she said.

Gough's mother, Maria, collapsed and was briefly hospitalized after learning her son had been killed Tuesday.

The teen's uncle, Antonio Gough, said his nephew was a good student who played baseball, the violin and the flute, and was not a troublemaker.

School officials said the suspect in Gough's killing was not known to make trouble, either.

"I still can't believe this can happen," Antonio Gough said.

Southwood is a performing arts magnet school for students in the sixth- through eighth-grade.

The school was in lockdown for several hours after Gough's body was found, prompting criticism from parents who said they were denied access and information.

School officials are investigating officials' handling of the incident, including why the students who found Gough were sent back to class after talking to police, and why the alleged assailant was allowed to remain in class, allegedly with blood still on his clothing.

Security was tight at the school on Wednesday, with security guards posted at all of the school's bathrooms (the bathroom where Gough was found remained locked and police called it an active crime scene.) In addition, two-dozen counselors were at the school to assist students who needed care.

Despite the security measures, about 500 children called in sick at the school Wednesday, putting attendance at about 72 percent according to school officials.

The teen suspect has been suspended and could be recommended for expulsion.

A candlelight vigil was planned for Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. for Gough, and a memorial fund has been established.

Gough's slaying brings the total number of violent school-associated deaths this school year to 35 -- more than the previous two years combined, said Kenneth S. Trump, a national expert on school safety. School-associated deaths are defined as those happening on campus, as a child heads to or from school or at school sponsored events.

That is the highest yearly death-toll since the 1999 Columbine shootings, Trump said. There were 16 violent school-associated deaths the 2002-2003 school year, and 17 the previous year.

Fund information:

Jamie Rodrigo Gough
Sofisa Bank of Florida
14095 South Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33176

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