ORLANDO, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida teenager who gunned down two people at a Halloween gathering will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Jaylen Edgar, 19, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in connection with a shooting in Orlando that happened after midnight on Nov. 1, 2024. Edgar, who was 17 years old at the time, was caught on surveillance cameras shooting at people who had gathered to celebrate Halloween on a block in downtown Orlando.
Insets (left to right): Timothy Schmidt Jr. and Tyrek Hill (Facebook). Background: Jaylen Edgar being led out of the courtroom after his sentencing (Court TV).
Orlando Police Department officers were on the scene and arrested Edgar after tackling him to the ground. Edgar fatally shot 19-year-old Timothy Schmidt Jr. and 25-year-old Tyrek Hill. He injured seven other people, one of whom was trampled when the crowd ran from the gunshots.
Timothy Schmidt Jr.’s father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., and Hill’s mother, Teresa Clinton, both made statements in court. Clinton told the court that her son was on the verge of owning his first tow truck and wanted to spend an evening with his friends after a long work week. She said, “On the way over to the hospital. I said, ‘God, I didn’t even get to say goodbye.'”
Referring to Edgar’s defense team pointing to their client’s childhood traumas, Clinton told the court, “Young man, I had trauma in my life. But I took that trauma and I changed it around. And I mentor young men like you. Before my son was killed, that was my purpose.”
Schmidt told the court that his son was his “best friend.” After he found out about the shooting that had taken place in downtown Orlando, where he knew his son was, Schmidt said he saw video of his son “getting CPR” on social media. “Before I even knew he was a victim — I knew he was missing — I saw his white Nikes and his red devil costume.”
Edgar was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for a sentencing review in 25 years. Due to his age at the time of the shooting, he was ineligible for the death penalty.
