Prosecutor Argues Teen An 'Extreme Danger' After Fatally Shooting Student Outside School

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prosecutors argued in court that the 17-year-old boy charged with killing 16-year-old Jayda Medrano-Moore outside DuVal High School in Lanham is an "extreme danger" to the community. Bail has been denied for the 17-year-old.

On Sept. 11 around 3:45 p.m., Prince George's police officers were called to the school for a report of a shooting. They found Medrano-Moore of Greenbelt outside with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital. DuVal High School at 9880 Good Luck Road in Lanham and Robert Goddard Middle School at 9850 Good Luck Road in Lanham were on lockdown for about an hour.

“It shouldn’t have happened, and it didn’t have to happen,” Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Prosecutor William Porter argued in court that the teen, a student at Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, decided to “get in his car with a group of his friends and go to another school with a firearm,” where they got into a fight with another group of students, reports WTOP.

The teen from Glenarden was arrested Thursday after Medrano-Moore was shot and killed near the school last Monday, Prince George’s County Police said. The suspect, whose name has not been released, faces charges as an adult of first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and a firearms charge, police said.

During a bond hearing, a judge denied the teen bail and ordered him to be held at the Prince George’s County detention center, according to WTOP.

“He did not want that young girl to walk away from this incident,” Porter said, adding that the gun was placed to her head and she was shot “point blank.”

According to charging documents, investigators say the suspect told a friend he was fighting over a gun when it went off and that he didn’t mean to shoot Medrano-Moore. But prosecutors disagreed with that statement Monday.

"This young girl was pistol-whipped and the gun was placed to her head and she was shot point blank. We do not feel as though this was an accident," Prince George's County Assistant State's Attorney Bill Porter said, according to NBC4Washington.

Charging documents also say the suspect and a group of friends drove to DuVal High School and there was a fight between two groups, including the suspect. When the suspect allegedly pulled a gun, witnesses told police Medrano-Moore tried to get it away from him while defending her younger brother.

The shooter opened fire after “some type of petty beef” between groups of young people, Prince George's Chief of Police Malik Aziz told NBC Washington. Medrano-Moore was with her brother at the time.

“She stepped in between that when a gun was produced. […] The person with a gun at a fight shot and killed her," Aziz said Friday.

Police still haven't found the gun.

"Absolutely anyone who is responsible in any way for putting this gun in hands of this child will be held accountable," Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy said Monday.

Medrano-Moore's uncle attended Monday's court hearing.

"If it’s a silly fight or whatever, just no need for guns. Just don't. There's no need for guns," Algenis Liriano said.

After the initial hearing, the suspect's attorney read a letter from his family, which offered condolences to Medrano-Moore's family and spoke out against youth violence.

Gabriel Christian, the teen's lawyer, argued that the teenager was a “fine gentleman” from a “fine family,” and he did not have any criminal involvement before the shooting.

“We are maintaining his innocence,” Christian said in a news conference following the bond hearing. “We understand there was an altercation, the exact details and contours of that altercation, we do not know.”

In arguing for bail, the defense said the teen would benefit from home detention that would allow him to continue his education.

“He is not somebody who comes here in the posture of a predator,” Christian said, adding that the boy has ties to the community, where he was born, and he is not a flight risk.

“And it pains our hearts, certainly pains my heart, that our son is somehow implicated in this,” said Christian, reading part of the letter. “We maintain his innocence. But we would like the family to know that we would like to visit with them and extend to them every single bit of emotional support that humanitarian impulse suggests to us.”

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said the case is “very emotional” for her and for the community. She said the issue of gun violence especially among young people is heartbreaking.

“It was no accident that the gun was there,” Braveboy said. “That was an intentional act. Someone intentionally brought a gun to where they knew a dispute was going to happen,” which makes it hard to believe that the shooting was an accident.

According to her obituary, Medrano-Moore was a "humble, loving and kind young girl" who had a "bright future ahead of her with aspirations of becoming a WNBA player."

Learning about the teen’s arrest was a “bittersweet moment,” Jayda’s aunt Wendy Liriano told NBC Washington.

“We lost our star, Jayda. And for the other family, they lost their child as well, being that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars,” she said.

“Jayda, we love you,” added Medrano-Moore’s father, Glendon Reid. “If you can hear us right now, we love you. One day we’re going to meet each other soon in heaven, and I’m just … we’re going to deeply miss her.”

A fundraiser has been created to help with the funeral expenses for Medrano-Moore. Reid set up the GoFundMe.

"(She was) loved by her coaches, fellow students, family and friends. She was so excited about turning 17 on Sept. 24," Reid said. "My family and I are grieving her tragic death. We are so appreciative for any donations to help pay for funeral home expenses and burial. I am deeply saddened by my daughter’s loss and wished it was just a bad dream. May Jayda Medrano-Moore R.I.P."

If anyone has additional information relevant to this investigation, they are asked to call detectives at 301-516-2512.

Related:

• Girl Dies In Lanham Shooting, Lockdowns Lifted At 2 Schools
• GoFundMe Created For Teen Fatally Shot Outside DuVal High School
• Teen Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of DuVal HS Student: Police