Videos posted Tuesday that have since gone viral show the moments a Jacksonville teen met with his grandmother just before being sentenced to 35 years in prison.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three videos posted Tuesday that have since gone viral show the moments a Jacksonville teenager had with his grandmother just before he was given a 35-year prison sentence for murdering a 16-year-old.
Arrested at 15 years old in 2021, De’Andre McCray was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Siradus Sirmans on May 7, 2024. The sentencing fell on McCray’s 18th birthday. Because he was a juvenile at the time of his arrest, McCray will be able to appeal his sentence in 24 years.
He originally pleaded not guilty to the murder but changed his plea to guilty in February 2024.
On June 8, 2021, Siradus was found dead in Woodstock Park on West Beaver Street in Jacksonville. He suffered a gunshot wound to the neck.
Witnesses told police they saw a teen in a red jacket confronting Siradus.
The warrant for McCray’s arrest reads: “The witnesses stated that words were exchanged and that the suspect spit on the victim…When the victim moved toward the suspect for spitting on him, the suspect pulled out a gun, shot the victim and fled the scene with the firearm.”
Other witnesses told police they were with McCray, but left when an argument began. They heard gunshots and saw McCray and three friends who were with him leaving. They identified him to police and told them what he was wearing.
The Florida Times-Union reported that Siradus was a Raines High School student who had many passions despite his age.
“He saw even further into the future and knew he wanted to become a police officer once he graduated high school,” Siradus’ father wrote on a GoFundMe page. “Siradus was a role model in my eyes. He loved to help people and was always trying to better himself to be able to help even more.”
In one of the videos posted Tuesday, McCray’s grandmother can be heard telling McCray, “I’m sorry you have to go through this. But, all you had to do was listen to your parents.”
In another video, the teen’s grandmother said: “Ain’t nothing we can do to help you now. It’s all over now. I know, it’s a hard pill to swallow.”
A resounding cry can then be heard coming from McCray as the reality of his fate began to set in.
“You ain’t even have no business over there,” his grandmother said to him. “You don’t know nobody over there. We never took you over there a day in your life to go play with nobody and talk with nobody or nothing, other than to go over there and play football. And all of them attitudes and all of that other stuff, you can’t, I mean, you just can’t do it, baby.”
“Then, you ain’t wanna listen to us,” McCray’s grandmother said. “We couldn’t say nothing to you, nothing at all…cause now it’s too late.”