ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – On Monday, the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit announced the suspect arrested in the Nov. 1 mass shooting in downtown Orlando has been charged as an adult.

In the early morning hours of Friday, Nov. 1 nine people were shot while out celebrating Halloween in downtown Orlando. Two men died, seven others were wounded by gunfire and one woman was trampled on and injured while trying to run to safety. Orlando Police Department officers quickly identified Jaylen Dewayne Edgar, 17, as the shooter and took him into custody moments after the shooting.

Edgar has been formally charged as an adult and is currently facing two counts of Second Degree Murder with a Firearm and one count of Attempted Murder with a Firearm which were filed by information Monday morning. Additional charges will be forthcoming as the investigation continues.

Florida law requires all First-Degree Murder indictments to be secured through a grand jury and we plan to present that charge to the grand jury in the near future.

The decision to charge the defendant as an adult is based on several aggravating factors including the brazen nature of the crime and the multiple victims who were shot in the middle of downtown while out celebrating Halloween.

“This decision was not made lightly and only after a review of all available evidence,” said State Attorney Andrew Bain. “I have personally reviewed all available records and video evidence in this case and there is no question this individual should be charged as an adult. Orlando Police estimate there were 75,000 people downtown on the night of the shooting. To shoot into a massive crowd like that shows a total disregard for life and the only recourse is to charge the defendant as an adult because it fits the egregious nature of the crime.”

Prosecutors will continue working with OPD on the investigation, which has called on the public to submit any videos or pictures from the night of the shooting that would assist in the investigation. People with information can call OPD’s non-emergency number at 321-235-5300.
If you are suffering with trauma from this tragedy, please reach out to the Victim Service Center of Central Florida at 407-500-HEAL (4925).

A charge is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.