JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After three days of jury selection, opening statements began Wednesday afternoon in the trial of two men accused in the killing of 13-year-old Prince Holland.

Holland was shot and killed on December 3, 2022, as he rode home from football tryouts in an SUV with four other people. An 11-year-old boy and the adult driver — who was also a youth football coach — were seriously injured in the gunfire. Two other teens inside the car were not hurt.

The case centers on two suspects: Marcel Johnson and Kentrevious Garard. Both face charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and multiple counts of attempted second-degree murder. Each man has his own legal team, jury, and will receive a separate verdict.

Prosecutor William Devlin Grauel told jurors both men acted together in what he described as a calculated, gang-related shooting.

Investigators say Johnson was identified through social media after posting an Instagram Live video two days after the killing, where he held a semiautomatic handgun and discussed a man “fighting for his life” at UF Health Jacksonville.

Grauel also argued that Garard was the triggerman, pointing to statements from a cooperating driver who admitted he handed Garard the firearm and that Garard fired into the victims’ SUV.

“The reason for the rap videos is to see the relationship, the friendship between Gerard and Johnson with each other,” Grauel told jurors, referring to drill rap songs prosecutors say reflect their alliances and rivalries.

The state says phone records will show attempts to cover tracks, including Garard searching online for whether police could trace SIM cards and later looking up Johnson’s name in the Duval County Jail.

Johnson’s attorney, Peter Glenn Venuti, cautioned jurors not to be swayed by tragedy, saying:

“This trial is not about emotion or tragedy. It is about evidence. The evidence against Marcel does not prove he participated in the shooting.”

Venuti highlighted that the murder weapon was later used in another shooting, suggesting others had access to the firearm. He also emphasized that no eyewitness has placed Johnson at the crime scene.

For Garard, attorney John Joseph Cascone argued the state’s case relies on speculation and weak phone evidence.

“What you are going to hear about is a foolish, tragic act of vengeance between adults that left their playground spill over into gun violence,” Cascone said, insisting prosecutors cannot prove Garard fired the weapon.

The trial is expected to feature numerous witnesses, though some are deemed sensitive by the State Attorney’s Office and will not be shown on camera.

First Coast News is streaming the trial live on First Coast News+ as testimony continues.