Teen charged in West Nassau High student’s death pleads guilty to murder

3 years ago 292

16-year-old shot subordinate shot, killed successful February 2020

CALLAHAN, Fla. – Gaven Smith, 1 of 2 teenagers arrested soon aft a 16-year-old West Nassau High School pupil was changeable and killed successful February 2020, pleaded blameworthy Thursday successful Nassau County tribunal to a third-degree execution charge.

Deputies said Trent Fort was changeable Feb. 24, 2020, portion successful a car with 4 different students successful the Spring Lake Estates vicinity disconnected Lem Turner Road.

Ashton Riggs is charged with accessory to execution successful the case. The teens are some from Callahan and were charged arsenic adults.

They were initially charged connected unrelated charges of felony artillery connected a idiosyncratic implicit 65. Smith, present 18, besides was charged with usurpation of probation and possession of a firearm by a delinquent minor.

Smith pleaded blameworthy Thursday to some the execution complaint and the firearm possession charge. The justice said helium volition determine astatine the sentencing proceeding whether Smith volition beryllium sentenced arsenic a youthful offender, a juvenile oregon an adult. Each carries a antithetic level of penalties.

The maximum condemnation connected the execution complaint would beryllium 30 years, and the maximum condemnation connected the weapons complaint is 15 years. Prosecutors said they were not pursuing a minimum mandatory for either complaint due to the fact that Smith had been cooperating since his arrest.

Smith’s lawyer said his plea was not portion of a negotiated woody with the State Attorney’s Office and helium was not promised a lesser condemnation successful speech for pleading guilty.

“This was a tragic event. It was thing that should person ne'er happened,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said past year.

Undersheriff Roy Henderson said successful 2020 that Smith is believed to person pulled the trigger. He was arrested soon aft Fort’s execution astatine a McDonald’s successful Callahan and his member was tracked to a wooded country successful the Spring Lakes Estates neighborhood. They aboriginal recovered the 9mm handgun progressive successful the shooting successful the woods, helium said.

Henderson said that Fort and the shooter went to schoolhouse together. Fort’s parents said they’ve ne'er met the teens, but they learned who they were connected the time of the shooting.

Fort’s parent said helium would person been a inferior successful 2021. On the one-year day of his shooting death, Paige Hall said the past twelvemonth has been the astir hard of her life.

“Every time waking up without my son. Every time waiting for justice. Justice volition ne'er heal anything. There’s nary greater nonaccomplishment that I tin acquisition than to suffer a child,” Hall said.

Trent Fort (Special to WJXT)