Plea hearing for woman charged in Hesston shooting postponed

A plea hearing for the woman charged with giving Cedric Ford the guns he used to open fire at Excel Industries has been moved to next month.

Sarah Jo Hopkins, 28, pleaded not guilty in March to one count of transferring weapons to a prohibited person, but a notation in her case file last month indicates she plans to change her plea. She had been scheduled to do so Friday.

The hearing is now set for 3 p.m. on Sept. 8 before U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren. It will take place at the federal courthouse in downtown Wichita.

Outstanding warrant could have landed Hesston shooter in jail | Conflicting sides of Hesston shooter Cedric Ford

Ford, 38, killed three of his Excel co-workers and injured another 14 people during a Feb. 25 shooting spree that began in Newton and ended at Excel Industries in Hesston. He was killed by Hesston’s police chief.

Hopkins is the mother of his two children. She is accused of giving him an assault rifle and a handgun, knowing felony convictions from Florida barred him from possessing them. She has indicated she handed them over after Ford threatened her.

This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Plea hearing for woman charged in Hesston shooting postponed."