Teen found guilty of shooting another teen over $20 of marijuana in Riverside park
A jury found a Kansas City teen guilty in the 2020 shooting of another teen over $20 worth of marijuana at a Riverside park, according to a news release from the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office.
The jury, after a seven day trial, found Jay Palmer, who is now 17 years old, guilty of second-degree assault, stealing and two counts of armed criminal action.
Palmer, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was certified to stand trial as an adult. He faces between 14 and 26 years in prison based on the jury’s sentencing recommendations, according to the prosecutor’s office.
“This is one of far too many recent cases where young people have been shot and seriously injured or killed over small amounts of marijuana,” Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said in a news release. “It’s a miracle this victim lived, but it’s a tragedy that any normal life for her was cut short over $20 of marijuana.”
On Dec. 30, 2020, Palmer arranged to buy $20 of marijuana from the victim, who was 17 years old at the time, at Homestead Park in Riverside, according to the the news release.
During the transaction, the two had a disagreement over the method of payment. When the victim tried to get the marijuana back, Palmer shot her in the head.
Several callers to 911 told dispatchers they heard gunshots and saw a girl lying in a pool of blood. They also saw a sedan driving away at a high speed. The victim was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Detectives spotted the vehicle the next day and followed it to a Northland apartment where Palmer lived with a relative. Police found the victim’s blood inside and outside the car. A bloody shirt belonging to Palmer was found in a laundry basket inside his apartment.
The victim remains partially paralyzed and blind in one eye. She also can only communicate using one or two-word sentences, according to the prosecutor’s office.
At trial, Palmer claimed the victim attacked him and the gun accidentally went off after he pulled it out to get her to “back up,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 15.
