On September 12th, 16-year-old Jayda Medrano-Moore was shot and killed near DuVal High school in Lanham, Md.
The incident stemmed from an altercation between groups of young people, some of who did not even attend DuVal. According to NBC Washington, there was ́”some type of petty beef” that occurred between the groups of young people.
According to the same NBC article, Prince George’s County Police (PGPD) gave a brief explanation about what occurred outside Duval High on that day after school. It states that Medrano-Moore was walking on Palamar Drive after leaving school when a fight broke out, and the teen suspect pulled out a gun and shot her as she tried to intervene.
The 17-year-old suspect was charged as an adult with first- and second-degree murder, assault and firearms charges, according to the Washington Post. His identity was not released to the public, due to the fact that he is under the age of 18 so he is still considered as a minor.
According to NBC Washington, Medrano-Mooreś aunt Wendy Larino said that the suspect’s arrest was “a bittersweet moment”. She also stated that “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.”
Unfortunately, this incident of gun-related violence is not uncommon in a year where the DMV area has seen many shootings.
In October during Homecoming Week, a shooting at Morgan State University left five individuals injured, including four students aged 18-22. This situation occurred during evening hours, so in order to maintain the safety of the students on campus, the Baltimore Police Department decided to stay around until early morning of Oct. 4. During their stay around the university, the suspect was never found. Some Panthers may recall that this is the same campus on which the Parkdale community lost alumni Manuel Luis to random gun violence in the summer of 2019.
Later, on Oct. 13, the Baltimore Police Department announced that the suspect had been found. They identified the suspect as a 17-year-old male in Washington D.C. Due to him being underage, his name was not released to the public.
According to the Baltimore police department , “the juvenile was taken into custody on Oct. 12, without incident. He will be transported to Central Booking Intake Facility where he has been charged with multiple counts of attempted murder.” The Baltimore Police Department also stated that according to the surveillance camera that was obtained from the day the shooting happened, it shows that the 17-year-old male was accompanied with 18-year old Jovan William at the scene.
Based on the article statement, it seems that 18 year old Jovan Williams is still on the run. “In addition to this arrest, detectives have issued an attempted murder warrant for 18-year-old Jovan Williams in connection to this shooting. Williams is considered armed and dangerous. Please contact 911 immediately if you come in contact with this individual or have any further information.”
Morgan State University president David K. Wilson shared that the community can at least be at a comforting pace since an arrest has been made.
“The Morgan Community can take solace today in knowing that an arrest has been made and we are one step closer to bringing all of the alleged culprits responsible for the incident that occurred on our campus to justice,” he said. “These recent incidents highlight the disturbing trend of escalating school shootings, underscoring the urgent need for communities, law enforcement, and policymakers to work together to address the root causes and implement effective preventive measures.”
