A 16-year-old was found guilty Thursday of shooting and killing a classmate inside a Maryland high school.

Jaylen Prince, 16, was convicted of first-degree murder and all other counts for the shooting death of 15-year-old Warren Grant on Sept. 6, 2024, inside a Joppatowne High School bathroom. It took the jury approximately three hours to agree on a verdict.

Police said Prince pulled out a gun from his backpack and shot Grant during a fight.

"We are very proud today to have given justice to the victim's family," Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey said. "At 15 years old, his life was taken by this defendant far too soon in a place that is supposed to be safe for the children of our communities. There is absolutely no justifiable reason for a 16-year-old to be armed with a firearm, especially in the halls of our high schools. It is my hope that this case sends a clear message that if you make adult decisions that take the life of another, there will be adult consequences."

Prince was also convicted of using a gun in a crime of violence, carrying a gun on person, carrying a loaded gun on person, bringing a gun onto school property, and possession of a gun by a person under 21.

He didn't show much emotion as the verdict was read, however, several members of the gallery were tearful, and so were members of the jury.

"Particularly in this case, it was heavy," Healey said. "You know, we saw some emotion even from them, and I think it's a heaviness we can appreciate, right? There was a 15-year-old who has now died, and now we have a 16-year-old who has committed first-degree murder. So, I think that at the end of the day, that's what we saw in the courtroom today."

Prince is scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 2.

Jaylen Prince takes the stand in his defense

The trial lasted eight days, with testimony from classmates, law enforcement, and Prince's mother. On Wednesday, May 28, Prince took the stand in his defense.

Prince explained to the jury that he did not mean to kill Grant. The argument from the defense was based on intent.

He testified that Grant was the aggressor. Prince said that Grant came from behind and tried to start a fight over his girlfriend. 

Prince told the court that he said to Grant, "My hand is broke. I ain't fighting nobody," referring to an injury that required emergency surgery months before the shooting. 

He then told Grant, "If you touch me, I will kill you," before he pulled a gun from his backpack to scare his classmates off. 

Prince told the jury that Grant shook him, and the gun fired. 

"I did not fire the gun. It accidentally went off," Prince said during his testimony. 

The state's attorney argued that the video shared by a witness showed Prince to be the aggressor and threatened to kill Grant four times. Witnesses testified that they saw Prince grab the gun from his backpack, cock the weapon and shoot Grant before running away and getting rid of the gun, which was never found.

Prince said he purchased the gun to protect himself because he "was afraid of a lot of places," after losing at least five friends to gun violence. 

Prince's mother testifies

Rykiech Prince, Prince's mother, took the stand on May 27, claiming that her son had a limited range of motion in his right index finger due to the injury that required surgery. 

She told the court that she always knew her children's whereabouts and often searched their rooms.

During a fiery exchange with Harford County State's Attorney Alison Healey, Rykiech Prince was asked how she missed the ammunition under her son's mattress and why he missed so many days of school. 

Rykiech Prince said the missed days were due to her son's hand injury and several suspensions. 

She also recalled how Prince went to school on the day of the shooting to fix his computer so he could attend an online school. Healey said the school was not made aware of the plans. 

Classmates say fight over girl prompted shooting

A close friend of Prince also took the stand in his case. He testified that the deadly shooting stemmed from a fight over a girl. 

According to the classmate, Prince was told to stay away from Grant's girlfriend, which left Prince agitated. 

Another classmate recalled how Grant asked him to record a video when Prince entered the bathroom on the day of the shooting, and the two began fighting. 

The video captured Prince saying, "I'm going to kill you," before he reached into his backpack and retrieved a gun. 

The video also caught the sound of the fatal shot and showed Grant falling into a corner. 

Firearm never found 

The firearm that was used in the shooting has not been recovered, but it was mentioned several times during the trial. 

According to a digital forensics expert, a search of Prince's phone revealed that he bought the gun on Aug. 12, 2024, and sent $700 to a contact through CashApp. 

The expert testified that Prince's phone contained several photos of the gun, which matched the bullets recovered from Grant's body. 

A Harford County detective recalled hearing Prince say "Toss that f** gun in the water" in a video captured by a neighbor's doorbell camera after the shooting. 

Prince told the jury he discarded the gun outside the school because he panicked after the shooting. 

• Harford County