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2 years after a 13-year-old boy was shot while raking leaves, police continue search for answers

Prince George's County detectives are still trying to find who shot 13-year-old Jayz Agnew.

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 killed while raking leaves in his front yard

"It's important for the community we're not going to stop," Prince George's County Police Department Major Michael Ebaugh said. "Let it be known that if there's somebody that wants to come forward that has more information that they'd like us to know about that they can talk to us."

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 were 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 for Jayz's family. 

"All the information adds up and leads down a path to a final conclusion and so what they may think is a minor detail could be a major detail to us," Ebaugh said.

"We never thought it was going to take two years before we have any sort of closure," said Jayz's mother Juanita Agnew. His father said it's hard to believe someone shot his son on purpose.

RELATED: Family worries clues will be hard to come by as 13-year-old's murder investigation continues

These efforts have restored hope for the family. 

"The fact that police is out here on grounds, on their feet passing out flyers, it really gives me something else to look forward to."

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."

RELATED: 'I had to put my pain into purpose' | Mother fights for more surveillance cameras after son was shot raking leaves in Prince George's County

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.

RELATED: Prince George's County hopes to reduce crime with security camera incentive program

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. There is a reward of up to $25K for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Meanwhile, Jayz's mother is working on organizing a Gun Violence Awareness Walk to prevent something like this from happening to another family. 

"Being active and starting the initiative and things like that help me to have a legacy for him and help his name live on,” Agnew said.

She's also launching a foundation in her son’s name to make sure other teens can reach adulthood.

"The Jayz Agnew was started to help teenagers and provide them with resources as they transition from boy to manhood,” Agnew said.

Click here for more information about the walk on November 16th and to learn about the foundation and how you can support it. 

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