The Office of the State Attorney of the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida has announced that Willie Shade was found guilty of First Degree Murder following a three-day trial. On January 20, 26-year-old Zedekiah Lafayette was found lying on the ground at the Maxwell Terrace Apartments on West Colonial Drive. The Orlando Police Department identified 35-year-old Willie Shade as a suspect and arrested him, according to a statement from the Office of the State Attorney of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

During the trial, multiple witnesses provided crucial testimony recounting what they witnessed on the day of the shooting. One witness responded to the location after hearing gunshots and a scream. When Shade saw the witness, he allegedly fired at them as well. Another witness testified to seeing Shade with the victim and another person and later finding the victim on the ground.

Surveillance footage caught Shade at the scene and later fleeing from the scene. After a three-day trial, the jury reached a verdict on Wednesday afternoon. Willie Shade was found guilty as charged for First-Degree Murder with a Firearm and Attempted First-Degree Murder with a Firearm. Shade has been sentenced to a mandatory sentence of life in prison. He qualified as a prison release reoffender after previously serving 10 years in prison for Attempted Second-Degree Murder.

Shade was still on probation for that charge when he committed the most recent crimes.