TEMPLE HILLS, Md. — Police in Prince George's County are renewing efforts to find who shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in Temple Hills. Friday marks two years since Jayz Agnew was shot and killed while raking leaves in his front yard.
On Nov. 8, 2022, police were called to the Temple Hills home to investigate what happened. It's still not clear if Jayz was the victim of a random crime, if it was a case of mistaken identity, or if Jayz was hit by a stray bullet.
That's why police will be back in the neighborhood Friday, hoping to stir up new leads that could lead to an arrest in the case, and some sense of closure of Jayz's family.
His family remembers him as a gentle soul with big dreams.
"He wanted to be a doctor," said his mother Juanita Agnew. His father said it's hard to believe someone shot his son on purpose.
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"It can't possibly be that he did something because he was cool as a cucumber," said Jayz's father, Antione Agnew, shortly after it happened.
What has made finding answers in this case so difficult for investigators is that there was no available surveillance footage from the scene. Since the shooting happened, Jayz's mother has been pushing to change that.
“He was shot at home," Juanita told WUSA9. "Five o'clock in the afternoon. So absolutely without a doubt, if we had cameras or if our neighbors had cameras recording that day, we would have known by now who shot Jayz."
This realization sent Juanita on a mission to increase the number of surveillance cameras across Prince George's County. At her son's vigil, she connected with Councilmember Krystal Oriadha, and floated the idea of a voucher program for security cameras.
"It's one of the things his mother asked me to do," said Oriadha. "And it was something I could do."
Last year, Oriadha oversaw the passing of legislation that provided vouchers or rebates to offset the cost of security cameras in high-priority areas in the county. The vouchers would be worth up to $200 in cameras and up to $100 in security camera subscriptions. This law was passed in honor of Jayz.
For more information about the incentive program, click here.
As police continue to search for lead, they ask anyone who may know anything about who shot Jayz to contact Prince George's County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.