The teenager accused of shooting two people to death on Halloween refused to appear in court, but his mother took his place.
Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, who allegedly killed two men and injured eight other people in downtown Orlando, did not appear in court Saturday morning.
Instead, his mother made an emotional appearance on his behalf according to Fox 35 Orlando. She spoke only to confirm her identity. It is not known why he did not show up.
‘Could you speak into the microphone?’ the judge asked, “Take a moment and collect yourself.”
The suspect is expected to be charged as an adult due to the seriousness of the crimes he is accused of. The judge said he will remain in juvenile custody.
Suspect Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, has been charged with eight criminal counts in the shooting.
The teenager accused of shooting two people to death on Halloween refused to appear in court and sent his mother instead.
Edgar’s mother made an emotional appearance on his behalf according to Fox 35 Orlando. She spoke only to confirm her identity.
Edgar has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Teenage football star Timothy Schmidt Jr. was identified as one of two people killed in Friday’s shooting.
The 19-year-old University of Central Florida freshman was enjoying a night out with some friends outside ‘The Block,’ a seven-venue entertainment district in downtown Orlando, when Edgar allegedly opened fire.
Schmidt and another man, identified as 25-year-old Tyrek Hill, were eventually pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Timothy’s heartbroken father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., spoke about the pain of losing his “one-of-a-kind” son in an interview with The New York Post on Saturday.
“A month before he left for his summer session at UCF, he was best man at my wedding and gave the best speech of my life,” Schmidt Sr. said.
“It made everyone cry. He was my mini me and my best friend. “We had such a special bond.”
Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, who allegedly killed two men and injured eight other people in downtown Orlando, did not appear in court Saturday morning.
A teenage soccer star has been identified as one of two people killed in a mass shooting.
After the shooting, people in Halloween costumes remained in the area of the incident while emergency personnel tended to victims lying in the street.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said at a news conference that the alleged gunman, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, had been identified and detained.
“He was just having fun with his friends,” Schmidt Sr. said of his late son.
A woman, 26, was said to have been hospitalized after being trampled during the chaos after Edgar allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire.
The suspect then ran and appeared a block away amid the mad agitation of the crowd at Orange Avenue and Washington Street, where he is understood to have pulled the trigger once again.
Schmidt’s heartbroken father (third from left) paid a devastating tribute to his son on Saturday.
Police have released footage of the moment he allegedly opened fire on the crowd.
Edgar has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted murder.
Police have released footage of the moment he allegedly opened fire on the crowd in downtown Orlando, as well as of officers tackling him to the ground and arresting him.
Schmidt Jr. was playing for USL League Two team Weston FC before his tragic death Friday night. He was also a freshman at the University of Central Florida.
“He was an extraordinary person, a loving son, a loving friend, a talented soccer player, an amazing teammate, a kind soul, a hard-working student and a person with an extremely warm heart and a witty sense of humor,” he said. student Jacob Egozi, who created a GoFundMe to raise money to support Timothy’s father.
At the time of writing, the fundraising page, which has a goal of $40,000, has raised just over $30,000.
