Skip to main content
Cloudy icon
77º

20-year-old gets 45 years in prison for murder in 2019 Volusia house party shooting

James Powell convicted of 2nd-degree murder, aggravated battery

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 20-year-old found guilty in the death of a father after a shooting at a house party in 2019 was sentenced on Friday to 45 years in prison.

James Powell was convicted in March on charges of second-degree murder and aggravated battery. The judge sentenced Powell to 45 years in prison followed by life probation.

[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]

Powell was 15 years old when investigators said he and another teen crashed an Oak Hill house party and were told to leave, with Powell shooting the homeowner — Joel Tatro, 45, who was hosting the party for his high school children — leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

Tatro died in March 2022 from COVID-19 with complications from the gunshot, according to the medical examiner.

Prosecutors argued the shooting caused health complications that led to Tatro’s death and upgraded Powell’s charges to first-degree murder.

During the trial, jurors heard from Wyatt Tatro — Joel Tatro’s son — that he knew the shooter from school, reiterating how the now-19-year-old was not invited to the house party.

According to the arrest affidavit, the situation escalated after Tatro told Powell to leave. Investigators said Powell pulled a gun from his waistband and shot Tatro during a scuffle.

Powell faced up to life in prison on both the second-degree murder charge and aggravated battery charge.


Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:

Correction:

News 6 reported that James Powell is currently 19 years old. He's 20. We regret the error.


About the Author
Mark Lehman headshot

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

Loading...

Recommended Videos