Classmates testify in trial of teen charged in deadly Maryland high school shooting
Classmates and witnesses took the stand Wednesday as testimony started in the trial for a teen who was charged with a deadly shooting inside a Maryland high school.
Jaylen Prince, 16, is being tried as an adult on murder charges for a shooting inside Joppatowne High School that killed his classmate,15-year-old Warren Curtis Grant, in September 2024.
Those in the courtroom included students and family members who identified themselves as Grant's friends and family.
Teen killed in Maryland high school shooting
Police said Prince allegedly pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Grant during a fight inside the men's bathroom of Joppatowne High School.
Prince then fled from the school and was taken into custody in a nearby neighborhood after being reported by residents. Grant died from his injuries.
12-member jury seated
A jury of eight women and four men was seated on Wednesday. More than 150 potential jurors reported over the two days of questioning.
The jurors were asked if they were familiar with the case and whether they had strong feelings on crimes involving juveniles.
Another four -- two men and two women -- were named as alternates.
Classmates testify argument prompted school shooting
Students and witnesses testified on Wednesday. One of those students captured the shooting on video, which was played for the jury.
A close friend of Prince and Grant testified that the shooting may have stemmed from an argument about a girl.
Magness Douala testified he spent much of the day with Prince, including most of lunch. He told the jury he saw Prince flirting with a classmate, who was Grant's girlfriend.
Douala testified that he told Prince that Grant said to stay away from his girl, to which Prince replied, "Nobody wants her," but seemed agitated.
The witness said he and Prince entered the restroom, and Grant and some other friends were there, as well.
Julian Mueller testified that he was inside the bathroom when the incident happened. He told the jury that Grant instructed him to take a video when he and Prince started arguing.
In the video, you hear Prince repeatedly say, "I am going to kill you," before reaching into his backpack and firing a gun.
The video also captured the sound of that fatal shot, and shows Grant fall into the corner.
Opening statements focus on intent
During opening statements, Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey told the jury that Grant went to school that day with the intent to kill.
She said the weapon was never recovered, but shell casings found at the scene match bullets found under Prince's mattress during a search of his home.
Healey also said photos on his phone dating back to roughly two weeks before Grant was killed show Prince with photos of a gun that uses the type of bullets found under his mattress.
Defense attorney Staci Pipkin said the picture Healey described is only one side of the story. She said Prince is a child and not a murderer.
Pipkin said Prince was much smaller than the rest of the boys in the bathroom and used the gun to scare them off, but didn't mean to kill Grant.
She said the entire case will come down to intent.
A push for security improvements
The shooting prompted community members to demand better safety measures at Joppatowne High School.
Students and residents started an online petition calling for security improvements. They were pleading for school leaders to install metal detectors and require clear backpacks at all Harford County Public Schools.
Harford County leaders and the county school board announced a plan to allocate funding for security improvements at Harford County schools, including advanced weapon detection systems and other electronic upgrades, and more School Resource Officers (SROs).
