A teen who fired a stray bullet that killed a 13-year-old girl at a Washington state mall walked out of court with a plea deal that could put him back on the street in a decade — another ordinary American sacrificed by a justice system that prizes the perpetrator over the victim.
Samuel Gizaw, 18, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single amended charge of second-degree murder with a firearm in the July 2024 death of Jayda Woods-Johnson at the Alderwood Mall in Everett, Washington. The Everett Herald reported that Superior Court Judge Anna Alexander accepted the plea. Gizaw's standard sentencing range is between just over 10 and 18 years — for extinguishing an innocent life. The judge retains discretion to impose an exceptional sentence because Gizaw was 16 at the time of the crime.
Prosecutors originally charged Gizaw with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault — all while armed with a firearm — plus a count for being a juvenile in possession of a firearm. All of those except the single second-degree murder charge were dropped as part of the deal.
Here is what that deal covers up. On the evening of July 3, 2024, Gizaw got into a fight with another group of teens inside the mall. Court records say he pulled a gun after being punched in the face, chased the group through the mall, and fired a shot near the food court. The bullet struck Woods-Johnson, who was walking with a friend and had nothing to do with either group. She died from her injuries.
The mall went into lockdown for nearly an hour. Gizaw left the scene and turned himself in later that night.
"Your honor, I'd like to say that I am truly sorry for my actions and take full responsibility for what I did," Gizaw said before his plea. "I made such a horrible mistake at such a young age that affected the lives of many people."
A mistake. That is what the system calls it when a 16-year-old brings a gun to a mall, chases people with it, and fires into a crowd.
Jayda's mother, Tabatha Johnson, has pushed for Student Resource Officers to return to the Edmonds School District, citing her daughter's murder. "If having officers in schools or places where kids gather can prevent one family from going through what my family has gone through, then I believe it's worth considering," she said at a July school board meeting.
The pattern is not limited to Washington. The New York Post reported this week on 16-year-old Kalvin Veloz, who surrendered to police in the Bronx after allegedly declaring "I'm going to throw some pain" before shooting 15-year-old Riley Billingsley in the head inside an apartment. Veloz was charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon — and was ordered held without bail. Billingsley's grandmother, Elaine Rogers, called the suspect "an evil person" and said "age has nothing to do with it."
Two teen shooters. Two dead kids. One system that cuts deals and drops charges. The question is not whether Gizaw is sorry. The question is what message this plea sends to the next teenager who decides to bring a gun to a crowded mall.
Gizaw is scheduled to be sentenced October 23.
