In the summer of 2024, a senseless act of violence on a Rochester street cut short the life of 17-year-old Jaden Scott. On the evening of July 26th, Rochester Police Officers were dispatched to Nassau Street following reports of gunshots. Upon their arrival, they discovered the young man lying in the street, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body.
He was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital, where he fought for his life for two days before succumbing to his injuries.
The subsequent investigation by the Rochester Police Department pieced together the tragic events of that night. It was determined that Jaden Scott had a fateful encounter with another young man, 20-year-old Jymere Feliciano. The two, both of whom were armed, walked past each other on Nassau Street. In a moment that would forever alter the course of two lives and devastate a family, Feliciano drew his illegally possessed firearm and shot Scott. The motive behind the shooting was not extensively detailed, but the confrontation was described as a hasty and reckless action.
Following the shooting, Jymere Feliciano fled the state in an attempt to evade capture. However, the diligent work of law enforcement tracked him to Georgia, where he was apprehended by local authorities. His arrest brought a sense of progress to a case that had left a community mourning the loss of a teenager. Feliciano was then extradited back to Rochester to face the consequences of his actions.
The legal proceedings culminated on March 26, 2025, when Jymere Feliciano pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the 1st Degree for the killing of Jaden Scott. By admitting his guilt, he avoided a lengthy trial and accepted responsibility for the teenager's death. On June 13, 2025, he was sentenced to 20 years in the New York State Department of Corrections, to be followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. The resolution of the court case brought a measure of closure to Jaden's family, though the pain of their loss remains. The district attorney's office highlighted the senselessness of the violence, stating that Jaden Scott was a teenager with his entire life ahead of him, a life stolen in a violent and entirely avoidable encounter.
