A 15-year-old from Anderson, Indiana, was sentenced to 100 years after a jury convicted him in a Feb. 2, 2025, gang-related shooting that killed 26-year-old Dayla Swain and injured two others. Jo'Majze Larry received consecutive 50-year terms for murder and a gang-enhancement charge. Co-defendant Rashawn Samuels was sentenced to 125 years, and another defendant, Kyree Craver, previously received 90 years. Prosecutors say the shooting was a botched attempt to kill a witness tied to a 2023 homicide.
15-Year-Old Sentenced to 100 Years After Botched Gang Hit Kills 26-Year-Old in Indiana
15-year-old convicted murderer sentenced to 100 years in prison
A 15-year-old boy from Anderson, Indiana, was sentenced to 100 years in prison after a jury convicted him in a February 2, 2025, gang-related shooting that left 26-year-old Dayla Swain dead, another person wounded, and a third injured when they were struck by a vehicle fleeing the scene, prosecutors said.
Jo'Majze Larry was sentenced Wednesday during a hearing before Judge David Happe of the Circuit Court of Madison County. Prosecutors say Larry was one of four members of the Mickey Cobra Nation (MCN) charged in the killing, which took place outside Sonny Ray's nightclub in Anderson, a suburb of Indianapolis.
Madison County District Attorney's Office - PHOTO: The Madison County, Indiana, District Attorney's Office released this booking photo of 15-year-old Jo'Majze Larry of Anderson, Indiana, who was sentenced to 100 years in prison for a 2025 shooting that left one woman dead and another injured.
Authorities said Swain was not the intended target. The shooting was a botched attempt to kill a witness to a 2023 homicide, prosecutors said. The attack left Swain dead, another person wounded by gunfire and a third injured after being hit by a fleeing vehicle.
Larry and co-defendant 19-year-old Rashawn Samuels were tried together and convicted by a jury on June 30. Following those convictions, both admitted to an enhancement charge for membership in a criminal organization.
Madison County District Attorney's Office - PHOTO: The Madison County, Indiana, District Attorney's Office released this booking photo of 19-year-old Rashawn Samuels of Anderson, Indiana, who was sentenced to 125 years in prison for a 2025 shooting that left one woman dead and another injured.
During separate sentencing hearings this week, Judge Happe imposed consecutive prison terms. Larry received 50 years for the murder conviction and an additional 50 years for the gang-enhancement charge, for a total of 100 years. Samuels was sentenced to 62 1/2 years for Swain's murder and another 62 1/2 years for the criminal-organization enhancement, totaling 125 years. Earlier this year, 19-year-old Kyree Craver was convicted in a separate trial and was sentenced by Judge Happe on July 9 to 90 years in prison. A fourth defendant is expected to go to trial later this year.
"Indiana law recognizes that criminal organizations can pose a greater threat to public safety because they coordinate criminal activity, recruit others to participate in crime, and often commit offenses for financial gain or to further the goals of the organization," prosecutors said in a statement.
Prosecutors also said Larry and Samuels were convicted on counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder related to the attack. They allege the shooting was retaliation tied to the 2023 homicide of 15-year-old Jullian Craig, which occurred during an attempted armed robbery. Donavan Harris, 20, of Anderson was convicted in June of Craig's murder, prosecutors said.
Because Larry was under 18 at the time of the offense, Indiana law permits him to petition for judicial review of his sentence after he has served at least 20 years, without the prosecuting attorney's consent, prosecutors added.
The case highlights prosecutors' contention that gang-enhancement laws play a role in imposing longer sentences for crimes carried out as part of coordinated criminal activity. Court records show the convictions and enhancements were central to the lengthy consecutive terms imposed this week.
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