A 17-year-old boy has been indicted on nearly a dozen charges, including first-degree murder, for his alleged involvement in a Halloween mass shooting in downtown Orlando that left two men dead and eight others wounded.
On Thursday, November 21, an Orange County grand jury formally indicted Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, for two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a minor, and culpable negligence with personal injury in connection with a shooting incident that occurred early in the morning on Friday, November 1, as Halloween festivities were underway in downtown Orlando.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue at around 1:05 a.m. on November 1 after receiving reports of shots being fired.
Within minutes, officers witnessed a second shooting on Orange Avenue, south of Washington Street.
A total of nine victims sustained gunshot wounds. Two of those victims – identified as 19-year-old Timothy Schmidt, Jr. and 25-year-old Tyrek Hill – were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Another victim sustained injuries after being trampled as a crowd attempted to flee from the area following the gunshots.
At the time of the shooting, nearly 100 officers were on patrol in the downtown Orlando area due to a large crowd that was gathered for Halloween.
Shortly after shots were fired, officers located a male suspect, and he was taken into custody at the intersection of Washington Street and Orange Avenue. He was later identified by law enforcement as Edgar.
On November 4, Edgar was formally charged as an adult. State Attorney Andrew Bain stated that this decision was “not made lightly.”
Bain further stated that he “personally reviewed all available records and video evidence in this case,” which left “no question [that] this individual should be charged as an adult.”
Orlando police estimate that approximately 75,000 people were in the downtown area on the night of the shooting.
“To shoot into a massive crowd like that shows a total disregard for life,” said Bain. He added that the “only recourse is to charge the defendant as an adult because it fits the egregious nature of the crime.”
On Wednesday, November 20, the State Attorney’s Office presented “sufficient evidence” to a grand jury to secure an 11-count indictment against Edgar.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Edgar is currently being held without bond at Orange County Jail. A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.