When 13-year-old Jaden Hill was shot and killed, 14-year-old Markus Carr told police his friend was the victim of a drive-by shooting. But as authorities in St. Petersburg, Florida, investigated, they found that was not true. Turns out, Hill recorded the last few moments of his life. The video told a different story than the one Carr attempted to spin, police say. Video from Hill’s cellphone appears to show that Carr actually shot him in the chest while the two were sitting in a car together. Now, two families are dealing with loss as Carr faces a second-degree murder charge.
Detectives determined that Carr shot Hill around 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, 2025, local news outlets reported. Hill was rushed to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Police arrested Carr on Monday. Investigators found footage on Hill’s phone that showed Carr pointing a gun at him and then pulling the trigger.
The two did not appear to be having an argument.
“When we downloaded the cell phone, there’s video on it that showed the two of them kind of going back and forth and then, Markus Carr pulling out the firearm and shooting him once in the chest,” St. Petersburg, Florida, Assistant Chief Mike Kovacsev said. However, their back-and-forth wasn’t a flight. Assistant Chief Kovacsev said it didn’t appear that the two were arguing before the shooting.
Police say this has been a unique year in terms of kids with firearms.
Police say the incident is devastating for both families. “The fact is, one is no longer with us and the other is going to spend a substantial part of his life now behind bars in one way or another,” Kovacsev said. The police claim this year has been a record-breaking one in terms of juveniles accidentally shooting themselves or others, and the incidents have led to many deaths. These incidents could be prevented with more responsible adult gun ownership, Kovacsev believes.
‘Secure them, put them away,’ Kovascev said to adult gun owners.
“Firearms in the wrong hands of juveniles, because gun owners, sometimes, will leave their firearms in places that they don’t secure them,” Kovacsev said. “And it’s not to vilify anyone who is a lawful gun owner, it’s just, secure them, put them away. Don’t leave them in your cars.” Kovacsev said it’s hard to conceptualize that children this young would even know how to operate a firearm.
Carr already had a few incidents of illegal activity.
Police believe the gun Carr used was stolen. Authorities say he also had a history of auto theft and auto burglaries. “There’s really no words of comfort you can be able to say,” Kovacsev said. “The fact is that we try to provide justice, we try to provide a clear understanding of what happened. And hopefully, if people take it to heart, you won’t have these incidents happening in the future.”
