Teen Charged In Bus Shooting To Remain In Juvenile Detention
HOMESTEAD (CBSMiami) – A 15-year old boy has been charged manslaughter for a deadly shooting on a private school bus in Homestead on Tuesday.
Miami-Dade police spokesman Detective Roy Rutland said Jordyn Alexander Howe, who is a student at Somerset Academy Silver Palms, has been charged as a juvenile in the death of 13-year old Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus.
Rutland said during questioning Howe was "remorseful."
"Obviously based on the charge manslaughter and based on the investigation and the evidence and based on interviews we conducted with him, it does appear to be an accident," said Det. Rutland.
During a hearing Wednesday morning, the state informed the judge that it needed more time to consider whether they would charging Howe as an adult. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Angelica Zayas ordered that Howe be held in a "secure detention" facility until the next hearing in the case on December 11th.
Howe was not at the hearing. His mother told the judge that they didn't have money to hire an attorney so a public defender was appointed.
The shooting happened around 6:45 a.m. at SW 296th Street and SW 137th Avenue. In addition to Howe there were eight other students on the bus including Guzman-DeJesus, who was headed to Palm Glades Preparatory Academy and her seven year old sister who attends Summerville Advantage Academy.
Sources close to the investigation tell CBS4 News that Howe took the .40 caliber handgun from the home he shares with his mother. The family reportedly did not realize that the gun was missing until they got a call from police. Sources say Howe told investigators that he knew the gun was loaded and even passed it around the bus before the gun went off and struck Guzman-DeJesus in the neck.
Guzman-DeJesus, who also went by Jina, was airlifted after the shooting to Miami Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Late Tuesday, Guzman-DeJesus' mother Ady released a statement to the media which read, in part:
"13 years ago god blessed my family with a beautiful angel. Lourdes (Jina) Guzman-Dejesus with the years I seen her smile laugh and be silly feels like jus (sic) yesterday I saw her running around in her pamper dancing and modeling for the camera. times and moments spent with Jina are memories I will cherish and keep in my heart for ever. Jina has always been fun loving, helpful, a happy girl who got good grades loved school was on honor roll loved her little bother an sisters and had lots of love to give and had lots of love given to her. I have and will always be proud of her. In this devastating moment I want to just say thank you for all the concerns and prayers, my family and I greatly appreciate it."
The driver and the other students on the bus were not injured.
In addition to the manslaughter charge, Howe has also been charged with carrying a concealed firearm.
