Who is Jaylen Dwayne Edgar? Video Shows Orlando Mass Shooting Suspect
The Orlando Police Department arrested 17-year-old Jaylen Dwayne Edgar as the suspected shooter at a Halloween celebration killing two people and leaving eight others injured amid the deadly chaos that unfolded in the heart of Downtown.
The teenager was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.
(Left to right) Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, pictured in a photo issued by the Orlando PD and in a still from a video of the teenager being escorted into a cruiser.
Orlando Police Department
When asked during a press conference Friday afternoon if Edgar is “talking or cooperating” with police, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith replied, “No, he is not.”
Mayor Buddy Dyer announced a local state emergency for downtown entertainment establishments Friday in light of the shooting that will end alcohol sales at midnight and implement a curfew of 1 a.m. until 5 a.m.
Suspected shooter Jaylen Dwayne Edgar is pictured in the yellow shirt.
Orlando Police Department
Police released security footage and body cam footage of the terrifying scene showing Edgar walking through a crowd in downtown Orlando in the area of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard around 1 a.m. Friday morning.
“Within minutes, a second shooting was witnessed by officers south of Washington Street on Orange Avenue,” the Orlando police said in a news release.
Dressed in a yellow T-shirt and jeans and wearing a backpack, Edgar is seen in the video suddenly turning back into the crowd and firing a handgun. Crowd members, some in costumes and some in street clothes, quickly dispersed.
Bloodstains were seen on the sidewalk along Orange Ave., where a shooting occurred during Halloween festivities on November 1 in Orlando.
Getty Images
Edgar appears to fall to the ground and get back up before he is confronted by a police officer who knocks the gun out of his hand and tackles him back down.
Two victims died at the scene. The remaining six victims were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in stable condition, police said.
An additional woman sustained injuries from being trampled by the crowd. Their ages range from 19 to 39 years old.
Workers from a local business on Orange Ave. clean the sidewalk where a shooting occurred during Halloween festivities on November 1 in Orlando.
Getty Images
Who are the Orlando mass shooting victims
A spokesperson for the Orlando PD gave the following information about the victims to Newsweek on Friday.
- Victim 1: Black Male, 25, Deceased
- Victim 2: White Male, 19, Deceased
- Victim 3: White Male, 18, Shot in lower left leg
- Victim 4: White Female, 39, Shot in left hand
- Victim 5: Hispanic Female, 24, Shot in left leg
- Victim 6: Black Male, 20, Shot in head (graze)
- Victim 7: Hispanic Male, 26, Shot in right foot
- Victim 8: Hispanic Female, 19, Shot in upper back, lodged in cheek
- Victim 9: Hispanic Female, 26: This victim was not mentioned during the first press conference. She was not shot; she was trampled as the crowd attempted to flee the scene of the shooting. Injuries from being trampled.
- Victim 10: One additional female victim was identified Friday. She self-transported to a local hospital Friday morning and is currently in stable condition.
Police released security footage and body cam footage of the terrifying scene showing Edgar walking through a crowd in downtown Orlando in the area of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard around 1 a.m. Friday morning.
Orlando Police Department
Smith said in a press conference that 50,000 to 100,00 people could have been in the downtown area celebrating Halloween at the time of the shooting.
Smith said they didn’t see Edgar enter any of the clubs when he arrived in downtown Orlando.
Nearly 100 officers were patrolling Downtown at the time of the shooting.
Surveillance footage of the Orlando shooting on Halloween night.
Orlando Police Department
“Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Smith said at the press conference. “He walked by multiple officers. We followed where he came from. He walked by at least 10 officers.
Although a motive for the shooting is pending investigation, Smith added, “It’s unfortunate some people see somebody they don’t like, somebody that they have some sort of beef with, and they take whatever action they’re gonna take.”
Smith also stated that Edgar was previously arrested for grand theft in 2023. It is unknown at this point if he will be charged as an adult for the shooting.
A close-up of Jaylen Dwayne Edgar’s yellow T-shirt worn at the time of the shooting
Orlando Police Department
Smith noted in the press conference that it has been two years since the last mass shooting in the city.
On February 22, 2023, Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Colby Lyons, 24, was fatally shot while reporting from the scene of a homicide in a Pine Hills neighborhood.
The pop-up memorial for slain Spectrum News 13 journalist Dylan Lyons is shown at the University of Central Florida Nicholson School of Communications in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. Lyons, a graduate of UCF, was shot and killed while covering a homicide in Orlando on Wednesday.
Joe Burbank /Orlando Sentinel/AP Photo
Keith Melvin Moses, 19. the suspect in the prior shooting, returned to the scene and shot Lyons and Spectrum News photographer Jesse Walden, then went to a nearby home and shot Brandi Major and her 9-year-old daughter, T’Yonna Major.
The city was also where the second worst mass shooting in US history unfolded.
The former Pulse Nightclub —the site of the 2016 mass shooting that killed 49 patrons— sits south of downtown Orlando on October 18, 2023. The city of Orlando purchased the nightclub property in 2023 for $2 million, and it has since outlined more modest plans for a memorial.
AP Photo
On June 12, 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, 29, shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub, a gay bar, in Orlando. Police fatally shot him after a three-hour standoff.
Community responds to another mass shooting
Mayor Buddy Dyer opened a press conference Friday in conjunction with the OPD.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to be here again today,” he said. “Our community is devastated again following a tragedy that took unfortunately the lives of two individuals and forever changed the lives of many others. Our collective thoughts and supports are with the families of the victims and also with those who were injured.”
“The safety of our city is our number one priority, and we will not tolerate crime in our city. We will leverage every single tool that we have available to keep our city safe.”
Dyer announced a local state emergency for downtown entertainment establishments that will end alcohol sales at midnight and implement a curfew of 1 a.m. until 5 a.m.
Dyer noted increased safety measures in Downtown Orlando after the fatal May 2021 shooting of US Army veteran Joseph Torres, 34, allegedly by the hands of Marine Shaun Engram, 26.
The added measures included “additional police officers and code enforcement officers, implemented coordinated entry that included weapon screening, and started a Safe program that included equipping our businesses with additional safety measures, including metal detectors, ID scanners, and security cameras.”
General view of Orange Ave. and Central Blvd. where a shooting occurred during Halloween festivities on November 1 in Orlando, Florida
Getty Images
“We want a downtown that is fun and vibrant, but we have experienced lately that brazen criminals are willing to come downtown and shoot and kill innocent victims right in front of our police officers, and it’s unfortunate that the changes in the state, concealed weapons laws have made it even easier for people to carry guns and carry guns and bring guns downtown,” Dyer said.
Our community is devastated following a tragedy that took the lives of two individuals and forever changed the lives of many others. As we send our collective support to those impacted, we’re continuing to leverage every single tool available to keep our city safe. pic.twitter.com/XEOftveJ9P
— Mayor Buddy Dyer (@orlandomayor) November 1, 2024
According to state statutes, it is unlawful to begin with for a person under 18 years of age to possess a firearm — other than an unloaded firearm at their home — with few exceptions.
Shan Rose, Orlando District 5 Commissioner, told Newsweek in a statement, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and patrons. We thank our Orlando Police Department officers, who were able to swiftly capture the suspect.”
“Safety is our top priority; we are working on short and long term solutions to ensure everyone has the ability to enjoy our vibrant Downtown.”
Intersection of Orange Avenue and Washington Street, is clear after two deadly shootings during Halloween celebrations, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 in Orlando, Fla.
Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/AP Photo
Check back for updates on this breaking news story.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com