SARASOTA, Fla. – The murder trial of Nyquan Priester, who is accused of killing 18-year-old Dylan Jenkins, commenced on Tuesday. Jenkins, a former standout football player at Riverview High School, was fatally shot on Dec. 29, 2021. According to Assistant State Attorney Megan McGinn, Jenkins was not the intended target of the shooting, as Priester had reportedly fired multiple rounds into the ground and air.
McGinn revealed that there was a party at Ackerman Park on the night of the shooting, and Priester, along with three friends, was about to leave in a car when Priester asked one of his friends about a gun. It was at this point that Priester allegedly made threatening remarks before firing into a crowd of people, striking and killing Jenkins, who was simply hanging out with friends that night.
Testimony from witnesses and surveillance video played in court supported the prosecution’s argument, with the video showing Priester disposing of the gun into Sarasota Bay later that night. However, Priester’s defense attorney, Omar Abdelghany, maintained that his client did not pull the trigger and was being falsely accused by his friends.
Abdelghany emphasized that the jury’s task was not just to prove a crime had been committed, but to determine who actually pulled the trigger. He pointed out that the state’s evidence relied heavily on the testimony of individuals he deemed not credible, and expressed confidence that the evidence presented would not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Priester was the one who shot the gun.
The case has garnered widespread attention due to the shocking nature of the crime and the conflicting testimonies presented in court. As the trial unfolds, the prosecution and defense will continue to present their respective cases, and the jury will ultimately determine the outcome based on the evidence and testimonies presented during the proceedings.