Deadly School Bus Shooting Suspect Gets Strict Curfew
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The South Florida teen accused of accidentally shooting and killing a girl on a private school bus appeared in court Wednesday where a judge put a very strict curfew in place that is similar to house arrest.
The judge ruled Jordyn Howe, 15, is only allowed out of his home to go to school, church, counseling, and to see his attorney.
The judge opted not to put an ankle monitor on him.
Wednesday's hearing was also the first time the victim's mother saw Howe face-to-face and it was emotional day in court for her.
Ady DeJesus was so visibly upset during the hearing, her attorney Ron Book spoke on her behalf when it was over.
"She doesn't understand and she doesn't find it okay that this guy is still walking around. She doesn't understand that the father hasn't made himself available to investigators to talk about how the son was able to get possession of the gun not once, not twice but multiple times and take it to school. She doesn't understand how the school can still have this kid there risking the lives and safety of all the other children and the families that go to school where this young man goes to school. She doesn't understand that," said Book.
Monday, Howe's attorney entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment.
After the hearing, more details emerged as to what happened that fateful day on the school bus near Southwest 296th Street and 137th Avenue.
According to discovery material obtained by CBS4 News partner The Miami Herald, Howe had taken the gun to school "for two months" prior to the shooting.
On the day of the shooting, Howe reportedly allowed a 13 year old on the bus, identified as "P.R.", to hold .40-caliber pistol and "rack" it, or pull and release the chamber that loads the bullet.
Howe eventually took the gun back from "P.R" and allowed the victim, Lourdes "Jina" Guzman-DeJesus to play with it as well. After Guzman-DeJesus handled it for a while, Howe took the gun back, pointed it at the floor and pulled the trigger. No bullet was discharged.
Howe then lifted the gun toward Guzman-DeJesus and again pulled the trigger. That time, the bullet fired, striking DeJesus in the neck.
The girl screamed and fell to the floor. "P.R." rushed to help.
She started screaming and she fell on the floor," P.R. told police. "He panicked and he just got up and he put the gun away ... in his book bag. I picked her up from the floor and helped her sit down on the seat and I was trying to make her feel better."
Another student told police: "She just started screaming ... We just noticed because of the [hole in the] window and her bleeding."
Howe is charged as an adult with manslaughter, possession of a firearm and possession of a concealed weapon.
Lourdes was a student at Palm Glades Preparatory Academy.
In December, the DeJesus family suffered another tragedy with Lourdes' father committed suicide. His family said he was so distraught over the untimely death of his daughter that he took his own life.
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