Teenager Sentenced to 80 Years for Classmate's Tragic High School Shooting

In a tragic incident that occurred in September 2024, a Maryland teenager named Jaylen Prince has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for the murder of his classmate, Warren Grant, inside their high school bathroom.

According to the Harford County State's Attorney's Office, Prince, who is now 17 years old, was found guilty by a jury in May of first-degree murder and related criminal charges. Prosecutors stated that Prince had brought a loaded ghost gun to Joppatowne High School in his book bag with the intention of using it, despite his testimony that the shooting was accidental and happened out of fear during an argument about a girl.

However, prosecutors claimed that a video showed Prince threatening to kill Grant four times, and witnesses reported seeing him take the gun out of his backpack and shoot the victim. After the shooting, Prince reportedly fled the scene, and the gun was never recovered.

Prior to the sentencing, a psychologist had found Prince to be an "extremely high risk for future violence," and prosecutors noted that he had a history of violent behavior in school, including dozens of incidents of threats toward teachers, multiple attacks and physical violence towards peers, and continuous verbally abusive behavior. These threats even continued after his conviction.

The Harford County State's Attorney, Alison M. Healey, stated that "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." However, she expressed hope that the sentencing would help close the "hardest chapter" of the victim's family's lives and send a message that gun violence will not be tolerated in schools or the community.