JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 28-year-old man was sentenced to five years of probation last week after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the 2024 shooting death of a 16-year-old girl in New Town.
Court documents indicate that Damon Wilson changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on March 4 and was released from jail the same day after getting his probation sentence.
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On Feb. 23, 2024, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in the New Town area in reference to a shooting.
When officers arrived, there were several people inside the house, including Layla D. Johnson, 16, who had been shot in the head, according to police.
Police initially detained and interviewed several witnesses.
Based on evidence and the interviews, police identified Wilson as the suspect.
According to the arrest report, Wilson went to the home with an AR-15-style rifle and showed it to the witnesses.
The arrest report also states that he told them about a malfunction with the weapon, specifically that the magazine “would not stay seated in the weapon.”
According to a witness, while Wilson was manipulating the weapon, it fired and struck Johnson in the head.
Wilson then fled the home with the weapon, the arrest report states.
After searching Wilson’s home, officers found an AR-15-style rifle lying on a table.
He was arrested later that day and charged with manslaughter in Johnson’s death.
Wilson served a year before changing his plea and being released from jail. He was facing a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
