Teen Sentenced To 80 Years In Joppatowne High School Shooting
Jaylen Prince, the Maryland teenager convicted of fatally shooting a classmate inside Joppatowne High School in 2024, has been sentenced to life in prison, with all but 75 years suspended. He also received an additional five-year sentence for a handgun violation and will be eligible for parole after serving roughly 40 years.
Prince, now 17, was found guilty in May of first-degree murder for the death of 15-year-old Warren Grant. The shooting occurred inside a school bathroom on September 6, 2024, following a confrontation between the two students.
According to investigators, Prince pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot Grant during the altercation. Witnesses said he was the aggressor, brandishing and cocking the weapon before firing. The gun was never recovered.
During his eight-day trial, Prince testified that the shooting was accidental and claimed he only pulled the gun to scare classmates after being provoked. He told jurors that Grant initiated the fight and that the weapon discharged unintentionally.
Prosecutors, however, argued that video evidence showed Prince threatening to kill Grant multiple times before firing the fatal shot.
Prince said he had purchased the weapon for protection after losing several friends to gun violence. Experts later confirmed that photos of the same gun were found on his phone, matching the bullets recovered from Grant’s body.
