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The 15-year-old Ohio teen who allegedly killed her abusive father won’t be tried as an adult because the prosecutor decided to charge her as a juvenile instead.

Bresha Meadows will face now charges in a juvenile court for the July 28 fatal shooting of Jonathan Meadows. The teen and other family members—mostly on her mother’s side— claim that Bresha was subjected to witnessing her father physically abuse her mother for years before the shooting. A claim that Mr. Meadows’ family vehemently denies.

“This is cold and calculated. My brother was murdered…no signs of abuse in the house,” Lena Cooper told ABC News back in July.

Bresha was charged with aggravated murder by Trumbull County prosecutors over the summer and had she been found guilty as an adult, she could have faced life in prison.  Now that she is being tried as juvenile, she can only be held in a detention center until she is 21-years-old, Rewire pointed out.

Bresha’s mother Brandi Meadows told the website that she was elated to hear the DA’s change of heart on Thursday.

I just started to cry. I was so happy that she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life in jail.

The teen’s attorney echoed those exact sentiments as he continues to fight for her freedom.

The decision to keep her in juvenile court is a huge relief,” said Ian Friedman. “We’ve been operating under the fear that this young girl may be spending life in prison. This is now gone.”

As HelloBeautiful previously reported, Bresha was arrested for using her father’s gun to shoot him in the head while he slept.

“She is my hero,” Bresha’s mother told reporters after her daughter’s arrest.

Despite the prosecution taking life off the table, by the time Bresha’s next court appearance rolls around on January 20, 2017, the teen would have been in detained in a detention center for 175 days.

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