The teenage boy accused of fatally shooting two people on Halloween has refused to appear in court, but his mother has taken his place.
Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, who allegedly killed two men and injured eight other people in downtown Orlando, failed to show up for court Saturday morning.
Instead, his mother made an emotional appearance on his behalf, according to Fox 35 Orlando. She spoke only to confirm his identity. It is not known why he did not show up.
“Can you speak into the microphone?” the judge asked, ‘take a moment, collect yourself.’
It is expected that the suspect will be prosecuted as an adult due to the seriousness of the crimes he is accused of. The judge said he will remain in juvenile detention.
Suspect Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, has been hit with eight criminal charges in connection with the shooting
The teenage boy accused of shooting two people to death on Halloween has refused to appear in court and sent his mother instead
According to Fox 35 Orlando, Edgar’s mother made an emotional appearance on his behalf. She spoke only to confirm his identity
Edgar has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Teenage football player 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 Tyreek Hill, were ultimately pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Timothy’s heartbroken father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., opened up about the pain of losing his “unique” son in an interview with The New York Post on Saturday.
“A month before I dropped him off for his summer session at UCF, he was the best man at my wedding and gave the best speech ever,” Schmidt Sr. said.
‘He brought everyone to tears. 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, failed to show up for court Saturday morning
A teenage football star has been identified as one of two people killed in a mass shooting
After the shooting, people in Halloween costumes stood in the incident area while emergency workers tended to the victims lying in the street.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said at a news conference that the alleged shooter, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, had been identified and taken into custody.
“He was just out with his friends having fun,” Schmidt Sr. said of his late son.
A woman, 26, is said to have been hospitalized after being trampled during the chaos after Edgar allegedly pulled a gun and opened fire.
The suspect then ran away and appeared a block away amid the mad rush of the crowd at Orange Avenue and Washington Street, where he allegedly pulled the trigger again.
Schmidt’s heartbroken father (third from left) paid a devastating tribute to his son on Saturday
Police released images of the moment he allegedly opened fire on the crowd
Edgar has been hit with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted murder.
Police released footage of the moment he allegedly opened fire on the crowd in downtown Orlando, as well as police knocking him to the ground and arresting him.
Schmidt Jr. played for USL League Two team Weston FC before tragically passing away on Friday evening. He was also in his freshman year at the University of Central Florida.
“He was an extraordinary person, a loving son, a caring friend, a talented football player, a great teammate, a kind soul, a hardworking student and an individual with an extremely warm heart and a witty sense of humor,” 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.