On Wednesday, a jury convicted 47-year-old Michael Dunn of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2012.
Following an argument over load music, Dunn pointed and fired his handgun at an SUV where Davis was sitting along with three friends. Dunn claims he saw a firearm in the vehicle, but investigators failed to locate a weapon following the shooting.
In a separate trial back in February, Dunn was convicted of three counts of attempted murder, one for each passenger that was unharmed and one count of shooting into a vehicle. He also faced first-degree murder for killing Davis but the jury failed to reach a verdict, which set the stage for this retrial.
“It’s a vindication for justice,” said prosecutor Angela Corey, regarding this most recent verdict. “We believe that we have to have as much justice as we can to assure that Michael Dunn will never ever walk out of a prison.”
Corey told CNN that Dunn faces a minimum of 25 years to life in prison for his actions.
Lucia MacBath, Davis’ mother, was also pleased with the verdict, expressing that it wasn’t only a victory for her family but for Trayvon Martin, a Florida teen who was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman was found “not guilty” of second degree murder in that case.
“Words cannot express our joy but also our great sorrow because … we know that Jordan has received his justice,” said MacBath. “We know that Jordan’s life and legacy will live on for others, but at the same time, we’re very saddened by the life that Michael Dunn will continue to live. We are saddened for his family, for his friends and the community that will continue to suffer by his actions.”
Sentencing for Dunn is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 17.
This retrial was preceded by the jury’s inability to reach a judgment on his first-degree murder charge for the death of Davis. basketball stars