JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Further arguments were heard in Duval County court Friday morning regarding whether to have two men charged in the killing of a Jacksonville 13-year-old boy be tried separately.

Kentrevious Garard, 27, and Marcel Johnson, 24, each are facing a first-degree murder charge, four attempted murder charges and a shooting or throwing a deadly missile charge in connection to the December 2022 shooting death of Prince Holland, court records show.

Prince was shot and killed on Dec. 3, 2022 while on his way home from football tryouts. Four other people were in the vehicle Prince was in when it was shot up: a 20-year-old man who was critically injured, an 11-year-old who was injured, and a 14-year-old and 15-year-old who were uninjured.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the shooting, a drive-by, was targeted and pre-planned.

“This shooting was a culmination of escalating violence between two rival street groups,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said at a press conference announcing Johnson’s arrest.

Waters said the gangs are called “3” and “320.”

Garard wants to be tried separately from Johnson due to having issues with Johnson making incriminating remarks towards himself.

In the courtroom Friday, discussing a motion filed by Garard’s defense to try the 27-year-old separately from Johnson, Garard’s attorney Stephanie Jamieson said “there are a number of evidentiary challenges” that would make it hard to have one trial for both Garard and Johnson.

“In addition to the social media post of Mr. Johnson in possession of the murder weapon, the entire motive for this murder is Mr. Johnson’s,” Jamieson said. “What I mean by that, is that there is a long history that we would potentially be going into to explain that it’s his motive and his history with the alleged victim, not Mr. Garard’s. There’s a long history with prior acts of violence between Marcel Johnson and the adult driver victim of the shooting who survived. He’s a gentleman named Jaylen Burrows.”

Jamieson further argued that evidence tying Johnson to the deadly shooting is “overwhelming,” while evidence against Garard is “very diminished in this case.”

Meanwhile, William Grauel, the prosecutor on the case, said the state wants to have Garard and Johnson tried together, but with two separate juries. Grauel explained that Johnson made the incriminating remarks in two separate interviews to one detective, and made the suggestion that if the two men are tried together with separate juries, the jury for Garard would be excused from the courtroom while the detective testifies.

“Other than that, I believe all the other evidence would be relevant in both cases,” Grauel said. “In essence, yes, we might have to have two different openings (arguments) and two different closings… but I think the only thing evidentiary wise, are going to be Mr. Johnson’s statements.”

Grauel later stated that the state understands the other evidence Jamieson brought up “may be prejudicial,” but said “ultimately the state’s argument is going to be that Mr. Garard was in the passenger seat of Mr. Johnson’s car when the shooting occurred.”

As it currently stands, Garard and Johnson will be tried together, with the trial starting June 9. Judge Jeb Branham said he will review the evidence disputed by Jamieson and issue a court order deciding if the co-defendants will be tried separately “very shortly thereafter.”