On Monday, September 11, 16-year-old Jayda Medrano-Moore, of Greenbelt, was shot and killed in Lanham, a few feet from the high school she attended.
At approximately 3:45 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 9800 block of Palamar Drive, across from DuVal High School. Jayda was found outside, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.
Police believe Jayda had left the school and was walking on Palamar Drive when a dispute occurred between two groups of young people. During that dispute, a gun was fired and Jayda was shot by a yet-unidentified person. Prince George’s County Police Department say investigators continue to work to determine the circumstances of the dispute and the shooting.
Prince George’s County Public Schools Superintendent Millard House II said of Medrano-Moore, “She was a dedicated student, beloved daughter, cherished friend and a source of inspiration for many.”
In a GoFundMe for funeral expenses, Jayda’s father, Glendon Reid, said his daughter was a basketball player at DuVal with aspirations of joining the WNBA. She was loved by her coaches, fellow students and friends and was looking forward to turning 17 later this month, he shared. “I am deeply saddened by my daughter’s loss and wished it was just a bad dream,” he wrote.
Prince George’s County Police Department identified Jayda as a Greenbelt resident. Though DuVal is not a local school for Greenbelt children, it offers a specialty Aerospace Engineering & Aviation Technology Program that is open to all students in the county for application. Superintendent House announced that they will be moving up the installation of weapons detectors at DuVal High School to help the community feel safer. All county high schools are scheduled to have them installed by January. It’s not yet known if the gun used in the shooting had been inside the school.
A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case. Detectives are encouraging anyone with information on this murder, no matter how small the detail, to call the Homicide Unit detectives at 301-516-2512.