17-year-old boy arrested for shooting death of Duval High School student

BALTIMORE -- An arrest has been made in the shooting death of a Duval High School student who jumped in front of a bullet to protect her younger brother.

Officials say a 17-year-old boy is suspected of killing 16-year-old Jayda Medrano-Moore.

"She was a bright student a great athlete with even a brighter future and now we know it was another juvenile armed with a gun who stole her future and shattered her family," Prince George's County Police Chief Aziz Malik said.  

Moore was killed on Sept. 11. Some investigators are still heartbroken by the tragedy.

"All of us are just speechless and we are so devastated about the loss of Jayda it shouldn't have happened.  It didn't have to happen," Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said.  

The arrest comes less than a week after detectives say they were called to the 9800 block of Palamar Drive where a fight between two groups escalated.

Detectives say the suspect pulled out a gun. He allegedly shot Moore as she was trying to protect her brother.

"She was a star in our community, and on the day of this incident she was a star yet again trying to diffuse this particular incident," Alsobrooks said.

Investigative strategies and tips led to the arrest of the suspect on Thursday evening. He faces charges of first-degree murder and second-degree murder, assault, and a firearms charge.

"It seems like we are here way too often, and I'm frustrated that the violent few are disrupting the education and the promising future of our children in Prince George's County," Malik said.