A Mississippi teen faces life in prison after he was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of another teen, District Attorney Ricky Smith said.

Kemond Urell Jones, 17, of Warren County, was accused in the Sept. 7, 2020, shooting death of Ethan Powell, 18. Jones, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was automatically certified as an adult to stand trial because he committed a felony using a deadly weapon. He turned 17 in February.

Smith said Circuit Judge M. James Chaney has set a sentencing hearing for Jones for March 21 at 2 p.m. The sentence for first-degree murder is life in prison without parole, but Smith said Jones’ sentence will be determined at the hearing.

“Because of his age, there will have to be a sentencing hearing; had he been above the age of 18, it would have been an automatic life sentence but there has to be a sentencing hearing and the judge has broad discretion on what the sentence will be,” Smith said.

According to Warren County Sheriff’s Office reports, the shooting was the result of an argument between Powell and Jones in the 100 block of Abraham Drive. At some point, Jones produced a handgun and shot Powell multiple times.

Deputies responding just after midnight on Sept. 7, 2020 to a call that shots were fired in the 100 block of Abraham Drive arrived to find Powell lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds.

Powell was taken to Merit Health River Region, where he was pronounced dead by doctors in the hospital emergency room.