A judge sentenced Jaylen Edgar, 19, to life in prison Tuesday for the Halloween 2024 mass shooting in downtown Orlando that killed two people and wounded seven others.
Edgar was 17 at the time of the shooting. A jury convicted him in August of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, a University of Central Florida student, and Tyrek Hill, 25, and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder. The jury deliberated about three hours.
Circuit Judge Keith Carsten imposed two consecutive life sentences for the murders and a concurrent life sentence for the attempted murders. Carsten told Edgar, “You terrorized this city”. Because Edgar was a minor at the time, a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence applies to each count, and his sentence will be reviewed after 25 years. He also received credit for 723 days already served.
The shooting happened just after 1 a.m. on November 1, 2024, as an estimated 75,000 people were downtown for Halloween. The first shots were fired near Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue, with a second shooting minutes later on Orange Avenue south of Washington Street. Police apprehended Edgar near Washington Street and Orange Avenue shortly afterward. One more person was hurt in a trampling as the crowd fled.
Hill’s mother, Teresa Clinton, and Schmidt’s father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., spoke in court. “No apology, nothing in this court could bring back my son,” Clinton said. Schmidt described his son as caring and supportive of others.
Edgar read a letter in court apologizing for the pain and trauma he caused. He said he blacked out before the shooting and pointed to years of instability.
The defense did not dispute that Edgar fired the shots but argued prosecutors failed to prove premeditation. Edgar has 30 days to appeal, and his attorney told FOX 35 he will.
The sentencing came days before this year’s Halloween.
