A 32-year-old father in Florida will spend the rest of his life behind bars after shooting his two small children, killing the youngest.
On Monday, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Samantha L. Ward formally ordered Jermaine L. Bass to serve a life sentence in a state correctional facility without parole after he was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his 5-year-old daughter Jaylah Bass.
In addition to the mandatory life sentence, Ward sentenced Bass to an additional 25 years for shooting and injuring his 8-year-old son, JJ Bass, who miraculously survived a bullet wound to the head.
Several of the victims’ family members spoke in court during the sentencing hearing, including Shirley Bass, Jaylah, and JJ’s mother, who wore a shirt with her daughter’s face on it.
“Nothing compares to the joy of watching your children thrive,” Shirley Bass said. “But, in an instant, everything changes. Your husband and children are taken away from you, leaving you wondering how he could. How could he harm them and put them in danger when he was supposed to protect them? What could motivate him to take such action?”
“It’s no longer why, but how,” she explained. “How could a person decide to harm their own child? A little girl who had just started to explore the world.”
Bass, who did not testify in his own defense during the trial, spoke at the hearing, claiming that his gun accidentally discharged, striking his daughter three times and his son once. All of the shots were to the victims’ heads, and authorities described them as “precise, deliberate shots.”
“I’m a good person,” he explained. “I always ensured that my family had the best. “I always strive for the best.”
During his speech, Bass expressed his hope that the rest of his family would find peace following “the accident.” As he finished, a stunned Ward asked him if “the ‘accident'” he was referring to in his statement meant “the death of your children.” When Bass said “Yes,” Ward looked at him in disbelief.
The murder
As previously reported by Law&Crime, authorities responded to a report of gunshots at the Bass family home on Heritage Club Drive around 10:30 p.m. on August 29, 2022.
Shirley Bass had just returned home from work and kissed her children goodnight as they slept in the bunk beds in their shared room. She then went to the restroom, where she heard several gunshots coming from inside the house.
Fearing for her life, she dashed outside and encountered her next-door neighbor, who had also heard the shots and called 911. According to documents, she eventually found her husband holding their son, who was cold and covered in blood.
Deputies were unable to obtain any information from the mother, whom prosecutors described as “hysterical.” Investigators discovered the father on a couch downstairs, holding his son. Officials said the child was awake and complaining that his head hurt. Defendant Bass claimed it was all an accident, and that his gun “went off” while he was attempting to remove a magazine.
“The defendant advised deputies to ‘Call paramedics’, advised he was attempting to remove a magazine from his firearm when it ‘went off’, and there were no other persons present in the residence,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Deputies eventually discovered the 5-year-old girl upstairs in her bed on the top bunk.
“Deputies observed an apparent gunshot wound, which was centered in the middle of [Jaylah’s] forehead,” according to the lawsuit. “As deputies were moving the child from the top bunk to attempt life saving measures, a casing was observed in the bedding of the top bunk.”
According to authorities, the girl was shot three times in the head, while her brother received a gunshot wound to the left side of his head, with the bullet becoming lodged. Deputies reported that brain matter was visible from his left ear.
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Deputies stated that they initially entered the apartment out of concern for the occupants’ safety, but they later obtained and executed a search warrant.
From documents:
During a search of the children’s bedroom, a blanket soaked with suspected blood and four separate .380 caliber shell casings were discovered on the top bunk, where Confidential Victim #1 was found by Deputies. The blanket had a hole in it, which appeared consistent with a projectile traveling through it. Detectives also noted two holes, consistent with bullet damage, which penetrated the north wall of the children’s bedroom. Both holes penetrated into the bathroom, which was located north of the children’s bedroom. One hole was over the top railing of the top bunk and the other penetrated the metal top bunk railing before penetrating the wall at approximately the same height as the railing. On the lower bunk, Detectives discovered a single .380 caliber shell casing, which was underneath another blanket, also covered in suspected blood.
According to the filing, detectives discovered a gray Glock 42.380 caliber handgun in Bass’ primary bedroom dresser, next to his wallet. According to prosecutors, the gun was empty, as was the magazine that was next to it.
“This defendant was supposed to love and protect his children,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez stated. “Instead, he killed his daughter and permanently scarred his young son. He will serve the remainder of his life in prison for this heinous act of violence.
While the verdict will not bring back an innocent little girl, we hope it provides some comfort to those who loved her and her brother.”