ORLANDO, Fla. — Opening statements are set to begin Thursday in the trial of the teenager accused of a deadly shooting during Halloween celebrations in downtown Orlando in 2024.
Jaylen Edgar faces charges in connection with the deaths of two people and injuries to several others during the mass shooting.
With a jury now seated, the case is moving forward after months of delays tied to mental health evaluations.
The defense is expected to focus on Edgar’s mental state at the time of the shooting and his claim that he was experiencing an extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
Edgar recently wrote to the judge saying he takes full responsibility for what happened, while also asking the court to consider his mental state.
That request led to a second mental health evaluation earlier this year, delaying what had been scheduled as a January trial.
Edgar had rejected a plea deal, prompting the judge to order the additional evaluation. His own attorney has previously warned that a mental-state defense could be difficult for a jury to accept.
Now that the evaluation is complete and jurors have been selected, prosecutors and defense attorneys will begin presenting their cases.
The trial is expected to last up to two weeks as jurors hear evidence surrounding the 2024 Halloween shooting and Edgar’s mental state at the time.
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