A teen was tried as an adult and sentenced to 42 years in prison for the shooting death of a fellow classmate in Kaufman County.
On August 16, 2023, around 8:12 a.m., Terrell Police received reports of a shooting at the intersection of Trailview Drive and Town North Drive.When officers arrived, they found 17-year-old Damaria Jackson with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Presbyterian Hospital in Kaufman, Texas, where he was later declared dead.
The suspect, 16-year-old Derrick Coleman Jr., has been arrested and charged with murder. Prior to a court hearing on Monday, he had been held at a juvenile detention facility.
During the hearing, evidence presented by the Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney’s Office indicated that Coleman felt threatened by another student at school, which led his mother to withdraw him from the campus. Despite his withdrawal, Coleman allegedly took the school bus to Terrell High School on the day of the shooting while armed.
After arriving at the school, he got off the bus and headed towards the route Jackson typically took to school. When the two came face to face, an argument broke out, during which Coleman reportedly shot Jackson three times.
Following arguments from both the defense and prosecution, Judge Gray ruled that Coleman would be tried as an adult, resulting in his transfer to Kaufman County Jail.
Coleman’s bond was set at $1.2 million.
