Gaven Smith pleads guilty in the fatal shooting of a Nassau County football player

CALLAHAN, Fla. — Paige Hall wears a memory of her 16-year-old son around her neck.

Trent Fort was shot and killed at the intersection of Spring Lake Drive and Deer Run Road near Lem Turner Road last year.

“It’s not okay for these kids to get a gun and go shoot another child, it’s not okay,” Hall said.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s office called it a drug deal “gone wrong.”

On Thursday morning 18-year-old Gaven Smith went before a judge over zoom to plead guilty in Trent’s death.

He along with another teen Ashton Riggs are both facing third-degree murder charges.

Hall told Action News Jax Smith deserves to be behind bars.

“I feel like he made an adult decision when he decided to take Trenton’s life. He knew what he was doing when he grabbed the gun. He knew what he did when he pulled that trigger, that wasn’t a bad decision it was an adult decision, and he killed my son.

She told me Trent was supposed to start his senior year of high school this year at West Nassau High School.

He was a rising football player with dreams of one day playing for FSU and the NFL.

Callahan is a small town and Trent’s teammates were like his family. He grew up with them. That’s why his school put up this banner in his memory for everyone to see when they walk out onto the football field.

“He’s their angel in the end zone is what they call him. and they’ve got his picture and he’s surrounded by the seniors,” Hall said.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 29th with potential Jury selection for that day.

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