Prosecutors have quietly shut down the case against the teenager accused in the 2023 Dezerland Park shooting that killed one 14-year-old and wounded two others, leaving grieving families furious and demanding answers.
Court records show the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office filed a notice ending the prosecution of Jasper Rollins II, according to WKMG ClickOrlando. Rollins had been charged as an adult with homicide and firearms offenses, but the paperwork ending the case does not spell out why prosecutors backed off. Reporters who reviewed the filings found no explanation in the public court record.
What Happened At Dezerland Park
The shooting unfolded on April 29, 2023, in the parking lot of Dezerland Park on International Drive when someone opened fire on a group of teenagers. Three 14-year-old boys were hit; Trevon Robinson later died, and the other two were rushed to Arnold Palmer Hospital, one in critical condition, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. Police arrested a teenage suspect in the weeks that followed, and early charging documents tied that arrest to the deadly attack.
Advocates Demand Transparency
Let Your Voice Be Heard, a Central Florida advocacy group, is publicly pressing prosecutors to explain why they pulled the plug on the case and says the victims’ families deserve more than silence.
"Families deserve transparency," Executive Director Miles Mulrain Jr. told WFTV. The group says it is standing with the relatives of the teens and is planning public actions to keep the pressure on officials until they get a clearer accounting of what happened and why the case was closed.
What Nolle Prosequi Means
Legally, a notice of nolle prosequi is a prosecutor’s formal decision to stop pursuing charges at that time. In practice, it often works like a dismissal without prejudice, which means prosecutors could bring the same charges again if new, admissible evidence surfaces later. Procedural rules, including Florida’s speedy-trial framework, place limits on how and when a case can be refiled.
For a more detailed definition, see Cornell’s Legal Information Institute, and for Florida’s speedy-trial timeline, see Florida Court Rules.
For now, the public court file gives no clue why prosecutors chose not to move forward, and relatives say they will keep pushing until they get a straight answer. Victims’ advocates also say they plan to stay vocal even as the case remains closed for the moment. The underlying filings in the case were reviewed by WKMG ClickOrlando.
