Teen shooter takes plea deal in murder of bystander at Alderwood Mall

Published 1:28 pm Wednesday, August 26, 2026

EVERETT — A teen has pleaded guilty to felony second-degree murder in the deadly shooting of a 13-year-old bystander at the Alderwood Mall in 2024.

Samuel Gizaw, 18, admitted to firing a stray bullet that killed Jayda Woods-Johnson during a hearing at Snohomish County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon.

“Your honor, I’d like to say that I am truly sorry for my actions and take full responsibility for what I did,” Gizaw said before his plea. “I made such a horrible mistake at such a young age that affected the lives of many people. I hope that today’s guilty plea brings more closure for the family. I’m so sorry for what I did. I can’t even imagine what they go through every day.”

Superior Court Judge Anna Alexander accepted Gizaw’s plea on a single amended charge of second-degree murder with a firearm.

On the evening of July 3, 2024, prosecutors said Gizaw got into a fight with another group of teens inside the Alderwood Mall. Court records said the teen pulled out a gun after being punched in the face. He chased the group through the mall, ultimately firing a shot in their direction near the mall food court, documents said.

The bullet hit Woods-Johnson who was walking through the mall with a friend and wasn’t involved with either group, prosecutors said. She died from her injuries.

The Alderwood Mall was put on lockdown for nearly a hour as officers feared an active shooter situation and searched for the suspect, a police report said. The teen suspect left the scene, but turned himself into police later that night.

Gizaw, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was initially booked into the Denney Juvenile Justice Center. He then pleaded not guilty when his charges were upgraded to adult court days later.

Among the original charges were first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, all while he was allegedly armed with a firearm, as well as a charge for being a juvenile in possession of a firearm.

He has remained in the Snohomish County Jail after a judge set his bond at $2 million in the days after the shooting, according to the jail log.

Tabatha Johnson, Woods-Johnson’s mother, said she wasn’t ready to accept the apology Gizaw delievered in the courtroom on Wednesday afternoon.

“I don’t know that it is sincere, we’ve never been reached out to,” she said after the hearing. “Jayda is gone forever, they’ll still get to see their son.”

Hundreds of people paid tribute to Woods-Johnson at a vigil in the days after the shooting.

The murder made national headlines and has recently been used as one of the local examples of the need for Student Resource Officers to return to the Edmonds School District.

“If having officers in schools or places where kids gather can prevent one family from going through what my family has gone through, then I believe it’s worth considering,” Johnson said during a July school board meeting.

Bryan Hershman, Gizaw’s defense attorney, said while his client takes accountability for his actions, the gunfire was prompted by people who will walk away without consequences.

“There were other people at fault who started this entire problem and who would have beat my client severely until they saw a gun pulled,” Hershman said after the hearing. “The whole thing is God awful.”

A jury trial was scheduled to begin for Gizaw in late September, according to court records.

Instead, the 18-year-old is now expected to be sentenced on Oct. 23.

Jeremy Johnson, Woods-Johnson’s father, said the guilty plea validates exactly what Gizaw did, now they want the punishment to match the crime.

“We’re just hoping for the most that he can get in sentencing as possible as the law allows just for the simple fact that he admitted he destroyed lives,” Jeremy Johnson said after Wednesday’s hearing.

Gizaw faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. His standard sentencing range is between just over 10 and 18 years behind bars, according to the judge. Under state law, the judge will have discretion to impose an exceptional sentence, because Gizaw was under 18 at the time of the crime.

“There’s nothing that is going to come from this courtroom that is going to right this situation, it’s terrible,” Hershman told reporters.

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com