State Attorney: No charges in shooting death of Brandon HS basketball player

BRANDON (FOX 13) - The State Attorney's Office in Hillsborough County announced Wednesday it will not charge a teen for the shooting death of 17-year-old Jayquon Johnson on New Years Day.

Johnson was a Brandon High School basketball standout.

Investigators released new documents on the shooting which say Johnson went with a friend to 16-year-old Cody Quinn's Valrico home to buy marijuana. During the sale, investigators say Johnson pulled out a gun and tried to rob Quinn, who took out his own gun and shot and killed Johnson.

Prosecutors say evidence so far supports Quinn's claim of self defense.

"There's insufficient evidence on an insufficient basis to charge the shooter with homicide in this case," said Rena Frazier, spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office.

On Wednesday, Johnson's parents met with prosecutors to ask them seek a homicide charge against Quinn.

"This is crushing. This is devastating when like I said [when there are] so many questions with no answers," said Johnny Johnson, Jayquon's dad.

Johnson acknowledges his son made bad choices on the night of his death, but says he has doubts that his son was armed.

"At some point you are liable for his life. You shot him. You didn't seek him help," said Johnson.

Over the weekend investigators arrested Cody Quinn and his mother Heidi. They charged Cody for possessing and planning to sell the drugs. Deputies say Heidi Quinn buried the guns involved after she heard the gunshots in her garage.

Prosecutors have stressed that the case remains open, but presently they have no plans to charge Cody Quinn in Johnson's shooting death.