A Maryland teenager has been sentenced to decades in prison for killing his classmate inside their high school bathroom.
Jaylen Prince received a life sentence plus an additional 20 years on Oct. 14, with all but 80 years suspended, according to a statement from the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors noted that state law prohibited a sentence of life without parole because of Prince’s age. However, he will not be eligible for parole until at least half of his sentence has been served. WBAL-TV reported that Prince, now 17, was 16 at the time of the shooting.
A jury convicted him in May of first-degree murder and related charges in connection with the September 2024 death of Warren Grant at Joppatowne High School, according to the release.
Authorities said Prince brought a loaded ghost gun to school in his book bag with the intent to use it, ultimately shooting Grant, WBAL-TV reported.
During the trial, Prince testified that the shooting was accidental and occurred out of fear during an argument about a girl, according to CBS News.
Prosecutors countered that video evidence showed Prince threatening to kill Grant multiple times, and witnesses reported seeing him take the gun from his backpack and shoot Grant, per CBS News. Afterward, Prince fled the scene, and the weapon was never recovered.
The State’s Attorney’s Office said Prince had a documented history of violent behavior in school. Records from Harford County Public Schools revealed numerous incidents of threats toward teachers, attacks and physical violence toward other students, and ongoing verbal abuse. Prosecutors also said the threats continued even after his conviction.
Before sentencing, a psychologist determined that Prince was an “extremely high risk for future violence,” according to the release.
State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey said, “No sentence will ever bring Warren back to his loved ones or make up for the fact that his life was cut short in the most tragic and senseless way.”
She added, “It is my hope that today will help close the hardest chapter of Warren’s family’s lives and send the message that gun violence will not be tolerated in our schools—or in our community at all.”
