JOPPA, MD—A Harford County jury convicted 16-year-old Jaylen Rushawn Prince of first-degree murder and multiple firearm-related charges on Thursday in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old student at Joppatowne High School, authorities said.
The verdict, reached after three hours of deliberation following an eight-day trial, stems from a September 6, 2024, incident in which Prince shot the victim in a school bathroom. The victim, whose name was not released, was rushed to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center but died despite lifesaving efforts.
Evidence presented at trial showed Prince, of Edgewood, followed the victim into the bathroom to confront him over a dispute involving a female student. Witnesses testified that Prince, acting as the aggressor, threatened to kill the victim four times. A student’s video of the altercation captured Prince retrieving a firearm from his backpack, cocking it, and shooting the victim before fleeing. The weapon was never recovered.
Prince was convicted of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in a crime of violence, minor in possession of a firearm, carrying a dangerous weapon on school property, and related handgun charges.
“We are proud to have delivered justice for the victim’s family,” said Harford County State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey, who prosecuted the case alongside Assistant State’s Attorney Anthony Baranauskas. “There is no justifiable reason for a 16-year-old to carry a firearm, especially in our schools. This case sends a clear message: adult decisions that take a life will face adult consequences.”
Healey praised Detective Ross and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for their work on the case.
Prince faces a maximum penalty of life in prison plus 28 years at his sentencing, scheduled for September 2, 2025.
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