A 15-year-old Indiana boy, Jo’Majze Larry, has been sentenced to 100 years in prison after he was convicted over a gang-related shooting that killed one woman and injured two others in Anderson, Indiana.

Larry received the sentence on Wednesday during a hearing before Judge David Happe of the Circuit Court of Madison County.

The case stems from a shooting outside Sonny Ray’s nightclub on February 2, 2025, where 26-year-old Dayla Swain was fatally shot.

Prosecutors said Swain was not the intended target but was killed during a failed plot to murder a witness connected to another homicide.

Larry, a member of the Mickey Cobra Nation (MCN) gang, was one of four people charged in connection with Swain’s death. He and co-defendant Rashawn Samuels, 19, were found guilty by a jury on June 30.

On Thursday, Judge Happe also sentenced Samuels to 125 years in prison. After their convictions, both Larry and Samuels admitted to an enhancement charge of being part of a criminal organization.

Larry was sentenced to 50 years for Swain’s murder and another 50 years for the gang enhancement charge, bringing his total sentence to 100 years.

Samuels received 62½ years for the murder conviction and another 62½ years for the criminal organization enhancement, resulting in a total sentence of 125 years.

“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.

Another defendant, Kyree Craver, 19, was convicted in a separate trial earlier this year over Swain’s killing.

Judge Happe sentenced him to 90 years in prison on July 9. A fourth defendant is expected to stand trial later this year.

Larry and Samuels were also convicted of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Although Larry was 15 at the time of the shooting, Indiana law allows offenders who were under 18 when they committed an offence to seek judicial review of their sentence after serving at least 20 years, without requiring the consent of prosecutors.

According to prosecutors, Swain’s death was linked to the 2023 murder of 15-year-old Jullian Craig, who was killed during an attempted armed robbery.

Authorities said Donavan Harris, 20, was convicted in June for Craig’s murder.

Prosecutors alleged that Craig’s killing led Larry and Samuels to work with fellow gang members to target a witness in that case. The plan failed, and the gunfire outside Sonny Ray’s nightclub instead claimed the life of Swain, who prosecutors said was not the intended victim. (Sunday Tribune)

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