Tampa father sentenced to life in prison for shooting children, killing one of them
Life sentence for father convicted of shooting kids
A Tampa judge sentenced Jermaine Bass to life in prison without parole for shooting his two children, killing his 5-year-old daughter. Family members, and Bass himself, spoke in court during Monday's hearing.
TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa father convicted of shooting his children in their bunk beds, killing his 5-year-old daughter and injuring his 8-year-old son, will spend the rest of his life in prison.
On Monday, a judge handed down the sentence of life without parole for Jermaine Bass, days after a jury convicted him on all counts, including first-degree murder, after several hours of deliberations.
Pictured: Jermaine Bass during Monday's sentencing hearing.
Murder conviction of Jermaine Bass
The backstory:
Jermaine Bass shot his 5-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son multiple times while they slept in August 2022, shortly after their mother put them to bed.
The young girl died, while the boy survived.
Pictured: Law enforcement responded to Armature Gate Townhomes north of USF's Tampa campus in 2022.
Bass was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and multiple counts of aggravated child abuse.
At trial, jurors were shown photos of the gruesome crime scene in the children’s bedroom, security camera footage from a neighbor and body camera footage from HCSO deputies the night of the shooting.
Jurors were shown bodycam video from the night of the shooting in 2022.
Investigators said Bass claimed he was trying to unload the magazine when the gun went off, but prosecutors argued that Bass fired the shots intentionally.
The case went to the jury last Thursday morning. Several hours later, they came back with guilty verdicts for Jermaine Bass.
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Sentencing hearing
What they're saying:
The children's mother, Shirley Bass, spoke during Monday's sentencing hearing.
"There's never going to be any justice for this, but I pray that we can all move forward while our angel's looking over us all," the children's mother, Shirley Bass said.
"How could you? How could you take the life of such an innocent, joyful, promising child?" Shirley Bass continued. "How could you? She'll never get to experience her first dance or celebrate her sweet 16, and she'll never become the cheerleader she was destined to be."
Pictured: Shirley Bass, the mother of two children who were shot in 2022, speaks during the sentencing hearing for Jermaine Bass.
Shirley Bass also referred to her son as a "warrior" after surviving the shooting.
Jermaine Bass spoke moments before learning his sentence, as well.
"I'm a good person," Jermaine Bass said. "I've always provided for my family. I've always been a good spirit, a good cheer."
Bass also referred to the 2022 shooting as "the accident," leading the judge to admonish him.
The Source: This story was written using information from Monday's court hearing, Hillsborough County court records and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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