ORLANDO, Fla. – A Central Florida man accused of killing two people in a shooting in downtown Orlando on Halloween 2024 is set to appear in court this week.
Jaylen Edgar, 18, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Edgar is expected to appear before a judge Wednesday to ask for a new public defender.
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Orlando Halloween shooting suspect wants new attorney
In a two-page, handwritten letter to the judge, Edgar alleges that he has been “ineffectively represented” by his current attorney.
Edgar wrote that his attorney failed to consider his mental state during the night of the incident and that the state tried to “force-feed a 50-year plea deal” down his throat.
“Legally speaking, I am not willing to entertain any plea offers until I have explored all of my defense options,” Edgar wrote.
Jaylen Edgar, the teen accused of killing two people during a shooting in 2024, has written a letter requesting new counsel. (Courtesy: Orange County Clerk’s Office)
His request comes just before his trial is set to begin on Jan. 12. Jury selection is set to begin on Wednesday.
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The backstory:
Edgar, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, is accused of killing two people and injuring several others after shooting into a crowd gathered in downtown Orlando on Halloween night in 2024.
Two people were killed in the shooting: Timothy Schmidt Jr., a 19-year-old University of Central Florida student; and Tyrek Hill, a 25-year-old man from Clermont. The shooting caused panic, with a 26-year-old woman being trampled by the fleeing crowd.
Orlando Police released body camera footage of officers tackling Edgar to the ground and putting him in handcuffs.
Police said between 50,000 and 100,000 people were downtown at the time of the shooting.
The Source: This article was written with information from Orange County court documents and previous FOX 35 reporting.