ATLANTA — The suspect in the 2020 killing of a teen while selling water in Midtown accepted a guilty plea to lesser charges in court on Monday, according to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office.
In June 2020, 18-year-old Jalanni Pless was shot and killed while selling bottles of water along 8th Street in Midtown. Police said he was shot over a $10 bill.
At the time, the teen's mother, Meka Pless, said friends told her Jalanni was selling water to a customer when a teen from a different group tried to sell to the same person.
Allegedly, Jalanni was given the money, and the other teen, Terrell Anderson, came back with a gun and began shooting, killing him.
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Photos: Jalanni Pless
On Monday, the district attorney's office said Anderson, 19, pleaded guilty to Jalanni's death in Fulton County court. Anderson was previously indicted on a felony murder charge. His charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the DA's office.
In total, Anderson will have to serve 30 years in prison, with the remaining five years on probation, the DA's office added.
Last year, 11Alive spoke with Jalanni's mother, Meka Pless, about her journey following the death of her son and how she is attempting to honor his legacy. She said he had graduated from Douglas High School and had been selling water bottles in Atlanta as a side hustle.
“All we can do is pray that there’s a change, and it’s really time for a change because we’ve lost a lot of our babies,” Meka previously said in an interview last year.
11Alive has taken a deep dive into the multi-layered lived experiences of the Atlanta "water boys," from successes and struggles to those looking to give the youth more hope. To view the special, click here.