A 17-year-old Orlando resident accused in a 2024 shooting that left another teen dead will spend four years in state prison after entering a no-contest plea to second-degree murder yesterday.
Marcus Anttwain Anderson Jr. entered the plea in Orange County Circuit Court, where a judge handed down the four-year prison term under a negotiated deal that also drops an armed-robbery charge. The agreement requires Anderson to complete community service, write an apology letter, and then serve two years of probation once he is released, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Shooting and arrests
The shooting unfolded on the night of Dec. 12, 2024, in the Sheffield Forrest and Chesham Drive area, where deputies arrived to find 17-year-old Gabriel Rosario Cortez suffering from gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead.
In the days after the killing, Orange County deputies arrested Anderson and his younger brother in connection with the slaying, according to ClickOrlando.
Prosecutors' account
Prosecutors say court records show Anderson and his brother arranged to meet Cortez to buy marijuana and planned to rob him. A fight broke out between Cortez and the younger brother, and during that struggle, Anderson pulled a gun and fired multiple times, according to details in the arrest affidavit that were described in court during the plea and sentencing hearing, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Courtroom reaction and family
Inside the courtroom, family members of Cortez urged the judge to impose a much harsher sentence and spoke about how his killing has devastated relatives and friends. The judge addressed Anderson directly, warning him to take the punishment seriously and telling him that the years ahead must be used to change the direction of his life.
Legal fallout
Authorities initially accused both brothers of murder after the December 2024 shooting, with Anderson charged in adult court while his younger brother's case moved through the juvenile system, early reports noted. By accepting the plea, Anderson avoided the possibility of a first-degree murder trial and instead received a second-degree murder conviction with the agreed sentence spelled out in court documents.
What to watch next
The sentence effectively closes the criminal case that followed the fatal December shooting, although it leaves the victim's family and neighbors with lingering questions about how the encounter spiraled into gunfire. Copies of the arrest affidavit and plea paperwork are part of the public record and can be requested from the Orange County clerk's office by anyone who wants a deeper look at the case file.
