A Florida teenager has been convicted of murder for shooting a man at his home in 2019 during a party that he wasn’t invited to. He was found guilty on Friday.
Joel Tatro, the victim of the murder, was airlifted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his neck. He initially survived the shooting but was paralyzed from the neck down. However, Tatro died from his injuries three years later in 2022.
James Zyquis Powell, who was 15 at the time, pulled into Tatro’s driveway. The victim was having a birthday party for his children and their friends at the time.
Tatro told Powell and his friends that they were trespassing and needed to leave because the party was by invitation only, according to witnesses.
As the confrontation escalated, Powell shoved Tatro, who then shoved him back. Powell threatened to kill Tatro and then fired a gun from close range.
After a four-day trial, a Volusia County jury found Powell guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. At a later date, he will be sentenced.