The Brief
Jury selection is underway in Jaylen Edgar’s downtown Orlando Halloween shooting trial.
Edgar is accused of killing two people and injuring eight others in 2024.
The trial is expected to begin Wednesday and could continue into next week.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Jaylen Edgar, who is accused of opening fire in crowded downtown Orlando streets on Halloween night in 2024.
Edgar was 17 at the time of the shootings but is being tried as an adult.
Local perspective
Because of the high-profile nature of the case, the court is drawing from a large pool of potential jurors. Fifty prospective jurors were called Monday morning and another 50 in the afternoon. The process is expected to continue Tuesday, with an additional 50 people on standby for Wednesday.
Edgar is accused of two shootings that occurred within minutes of each other. The first killed 25-year-old Tyrek Hill. About three minutes later, another burst of gunfire killed 19-year-old Timothy Schmidt Jr. and injured eight others.
Edgar has remained in custody since his arrest.
The case had been scheduled to go to trial in January but was delayed after Edgar wrote to the judge indicating he wanted to pursue an insanity defense. In the letter, Edgar said he had been experiencing an “extremely mental or emotional disturbance” that affected his ability to think clearly and make decisions.
Edgar also wrote that he understood his emotional state did not eliminate his responsibility and that he regretted the impact of his actions.
His attorney has not formally indicated whether the defense will pursue that strategy instead of the original not guilty plea. Circuit Judge Keith Carsten said prosecutors should be prepared for the possibility.
What’s next
Jurors selected for the case were told to return Wednesday for the start of the trial. Prosecutors estimate they will need about 2½ days to present their case, meaning the trial could continue into next week.
The Source
This story was written based on court proceedings from the Ninth Circuit Court of Florida, the Orlando Police Department and from previous reporting by FOX 35 News.