Joppatowne High School shooting suspect Jaylen Prince had “well over” 100 photos of a 9mm handgun on his cellphone when he was arrested, Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey said Wednesday, leading her to surmise that the killing of 15-year-old Warren Grant last September was premeditated and intentional, not done out of self-defense or fear.

Prince, 16, of Edgewood, faces first-degree murder and other related charges in Grant’s Sept. 6 shooting death. Police say Prince, who is charged as an adult, pulled out a handgun during a fight with Grant and shot him to death inside a high school bathroom.

Prince’s trial began Tuesday in Harford County Circuit Court with jury selection, which was complete by Wednesday morning.

Healey said she plans to introduce the cellphone photos into evidence during the trial to “place the weapon in Prince’s hands,” and prove that the murder charge is more appropriate than manslaughter.

Police have not recovered the gun used in Grant’s killing, but Healey said the photos demonstrate that Prince had the weapon “in other situations” and was not carrying it “out of fear” on the day that Grant was killed.

The gun is a Polymer80 brand, 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say Prince bought a month before the Joppatowne High shooting. Polymer80 is an American manufacturer that sells firearms parts kits that include unfinished receivers used in privately made firearms.

Prince’s attorney, Staci Pipkin, challenged the photo evidence Wednesday before opening statements, saying that the images and text messages found on Prince’s cellphone would be prejudicial to the jury. She said some of the evidence could allude to other alleged crimes not related to the September shooting.

Judge Kevin Mahoney said he believes the cellphone images have value as evidence in the trial due to the time they were taken — between Aug. 15, when Prince purchased the handgun, and Sept. 6, when the shooting occurred. However, Mahoney said only a few images would be necessary to show during the trial since some show only the handgun with no indication that Prince was in possession of it at the time the photo was taken.

Lawyers agreed that a cellphone expert summoned by the state would be rescheduled to testify next week to allow the defense more time to analyze the cellphone data.

Healey said the state anticipates resting its case Tuesday.

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