Prince Holland

Prince Holland was a 13-year-old boy from Jacksonville, Florida, known to his family and friends as “Day Day.” A student at Ribault Middle School, Prince, a Black male, loved football, cooking, and attending church. His mother remembered him as a compassionate person who was always willing to help others. He was looking forward to the holidays and enjoyed things like shooting fireworks on the Fourth of July.

On the evening of December 3, 2022, Prince was riding home from football tryouts at the Legends Center and Gymnasium. He was a passenger in an SUV driven by his coach, Jaylen Burroughs, along with three other boys. As their vehicle stopped at the intersection of New Kings and Moncrief roads in Northwest Jacksonville, another car pulled alongside them and an occupant opened fire. The SUV was riddled with more than 20 bullets in what authorities described as a targeted ambush. Prince was killed in the attack.

His coach, Jaylen Burroughs, was shot 10 times while reportedly shielding the children in the vehicle. An 11-year-old passenger was also wounded by the gunfire. Two other youths in the car, ages 14 and 15, were not physically injured. Panicked 911 calls from the scene captured the chaos as witnesses and family members reacted to the shooting.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigation determined the shooting stemmed from an escalating conflict between two rival street groups. In January 2023, authorities arrested 22-year-old Marcel Joshua Johnson, identified as the driver of the suspect vehicle. The following month, police arrested a second suspect, 25-year-old Kentrevious Tyree Garard, who was identified as the alleged triggerman.

Both men were charged with second-degree murder and four counts of attempted second-degree murder. During the investigation, Johnson told detectives that Garard had ordered him to “Let the shots off” at the intersection and later threatened him to ensure his silence. Citing Johnson’s incriminating statements, Garard's attorney successfully filed a motion to have the two men tried separately.

The co-defendants were tried before separate juries. Kentrevious Garard was found not guilty on all charges. The trial for Marcel Johnson ended after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial. Following the hung jury, the case against Johnson remains in litigation.