Me’Kel Queen, a 15-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida, was fatally shot on September 2, 2023, in the Sandalwood neighborhood. The incident occurred during an attempted robbery of a drug dealer named Joshua Roberts. According to prosecutors, Queen, along with two other teens, Bobby Dann and Gabriel Waisanen, tried to rob Roberts.
During the attempted robbery, Roberts shot and killed Queen. The body was found on Java Drive.
Despite being the one who shot Queen, Roberts did not face any charges related to the teen's death but was instead arrested on drug charges.
Bobby Dann, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident, was arrested a day after the shooting. Police recovered shell casings from two different types of guns at the scene. Both Dann and Waisanen pleaded guilty to second-degree felony murder and armed robbery in connection with Queen’s death, as the teen died while they were committing a crime.
Dann was sentenced to 16 years in Florida State Prison for the felony murder and 15 years for the attempted robbery, with the sentences running concurrently and a mandatory minimum of 10 years. Waisanen also accepted a plea deal and was involved in providing the gun used in the attempted robbery. He was scheduled to be sentenced the following week after Dann’s sentencing.
The case highlights the tragic consequences of the teens' involvement in criminal activities and the severe legal repercussions they faced as a result.
