A Maryland teen convicted of murder for the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday, according to Harford County court officials.

Kevin Kinsey was 16 years old when he shot and killed Jai'den Winchester at a Halloween party in November 2024, court documents show.

Winchester was a student and football player at Havre De Grace High School. He died after he was shot in the head while sitting in the backseat of a car with Kinsey. 

Kinsey was charged as an adult and ultimately found guilty of second-degree murder and use of a firearm, according to court records. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years, a judge ruled.

Harford County fatal shooting 

Just before the deadly shooting, the homeowner where the party was being held told everyone to leave their house. 

Six teens, including Kinsey and Winchester, got into a car when Winchester reportedly said something to anger Kinsey, charging documents said. 

Witnesses told police that they heard gunshots from the backseat where the two were sitting. 

"Things like this really shock the conscience when it happens, especially when you're dealing with children, and this was a 14-year-old boy who was going to school and playing sports, and now that's all over," Aberdeen Police Capt. Will Reiber said during the investigation.

After the shooting, Kinsey fled the scene, but later returned, saying he did not mean to shoot Winchester and that he needed to find the gun. 

According to charging documents, Kinsey later told police that the shooting was an accident, saying, "I'm scared. I don't want to go to jail."

During the investigation, police determined that the gun used in the shooting was registered to Kinsey's father.