Background: Police respond to a shooting outside Oliver Citywide Academy in Pittsburgh, Pa., on May 24, 2023 (WTAE/YouTube). Top inset: Jaymier Perry (Allegheny County Jail). Bottom inset: Derrick Harris Jr. (GoFundMe).
A Pennsylvania teen who fatally shot a fellow student on the steps of their school after claiming the boy had stolen his Beats headphones has been sentenced to decades in prison.
Jaymier Perry was 15 when authorities charged him in the killing of Derrick Harris Jr., also 15, as Law&Crime previously reported.
On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Perry to 35 years to life in state prison after he pleaded guilty last month to first-degree murder, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Because Perry was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, he was not subject to the mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
The case stems from May 24, 2023, when Pittsburgh police were called to Oliver Citywide Academy for reports of gunfire. The Pittsburgh public school, which served students with special education needs, has since been effectively shuttered following a series of violent incidents.
The police department said gunshot-detection technology captured 11 rounds. Responding officers found Harris near the school’s front entrance with multiple gunshot wounds. Other officers reported seeing Perry fleeing the area with a firearm; he was taken into custody, and the gun was recovered.
Paramedics treated Harris at the scene before rushing him to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead.
During questioning, investigators said Perry offered a motive for the shooting: He claimed Harris had stolen his Beats headphones two days earlier.
Perry reportedly said he and Harris were often the first students to arrive at the school, and on the morning of the shooting, he approached Harris on the school steps.
Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Ryan Kiray recounted how Perry shot Harris “until the gun was empty” — hitting him 10 times. Surveillance footage showed the defendant then approach Harris on the ground before kicking and stomping on his head and running away.
When detectives asked Perry why he continued the attack after the shooting, he told them, “‘If you’re going to shoot someone, you may as well finish the job,’ before laughing about the shooting,” according to Kiray.
Perry’s history, as told by his defense attorney, included that he was nonverbal until he was 4 years old, he had significant developmental delays, and when he was young, his 9-year-old sister died.
Following his arrest, he was reportedly ruled incompetent to stand trial for three years. He has made progress since then, his attorney said.
Perry also addressed Harris’ mother during his sentencing hearing. “I know my actions hurt you deeply,” he said, adding, “I take full responsibility for what I did. I am not trying to make excuses. I know my actions hurt your whole family.” He also apologized to his own mother.
“Derrick was a victim of teen gun violence and was tragically shot by another student, while walking into school on May 24th, 2023,” a GoFundMe set up for the victim states. “Derrick was a kindhearted, loving son and brother. He loved playing video games and sports with his friends. His smile and sense of humor brought so much love and light to those who love him.”
The post Teen shot classmate on campus steps ‘until the gun was empty,’ then told cops ‘if you’re going to shoot someone, you may as well finish the job’ first appeared on Law & Crime.
