U.S. student who killed parents at university appears in court via video

CHICAGO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A 19-year-old college student charged with killing his parents on his school campus in the U.S. state of Michigan appeared in court via video from his hospital bed on Tuesday afternoon, local media reported.

The suspect, James Eric Davis Jr., who fatally shot his parents in his dorm room at Central Michigan University on Friday morning, was arrested early Saturday after a nearly daylong manhunt.

Davis has been hospitalized in McLaren Central Michigan Hospital under armed guard since he was arrested, as officers said he "wasn't making any sense," according to Chicago Tribune.

Davis is charged with two counts of open murder and a felony firearms charge. Prosecutors were requesting a bond of 3 million U.S. dollars, and argued that Davis was a flight risk.

But Isabella County Judge Paul Chamberlain finally set bond at 1.25 million dollars, after Davis' appointed defense attorney said setting the bond at the higher level was equivalent of denying bond for a college student.

In court hearing on Tuesday, when consenting to waiving his rights to a speedy pretrial hearing, Davis denied he was under the influence of any substance, including prescription drugs.

Authorities have said that Davis was seen acting erratically the day before the shooting and was hospitalized that day, possibly related to drug overdose. The shooting happened when his parents came to campus to pick him up. Enditem