15-year-old Jada Spence has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child in connection with the shooting death of 14-year-old Marshaun Jones.
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The incident happened in Ocala.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Jones, Spence, and four other minors, they had gathered at a home to hang out and smoke marijuana.
The police report states the minors were passing around guns, and Spence initially claimed one had fallen on the ground and accidentally discharged, killing Jones.
But later, the report claims her story changed.
The report states Jones had initially pulled the trigger of one of the guns and it didn’t go off.
Then, according to the report, Spence then took the gun, pointed it at Jones, and pulled the trigger.
That time the gun did go off and the report states the bullet struck Jones in the face.
After the shooting, Spence could be heard on video surveillance saying, “I didn’t know it was f****ing loaded bro,” according to the report.
“He was lively, energetic, and always loved to have fun, always silly and making people laugh. That was who he was,” said Johnny Fudge, Jones' father, who we spoke with in October.
Fudge told us his son had moved from Jacksonville to Ocala just one week before the shooting.
In our interview, Fudge called for adults to do a better job of keeping firearms away from children.
“It seems like nobody wants to take it seriously about securing these guns and it’s not a good feeling when you get a call that your son has passed away over someone shooting him or because of someone having access to a gun,” said Fudge.
Spence’s charge is considered a First-Degree felony in Florida, which carries with it a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
She’s being charged as an adult.
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