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Watch: Mother forgives, hugs teen daughter’s killer in court

Posted at 1:20 PM, Jun 13, 2014
and last updated 2014-06-13 13:20:48-04

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Miami, Fla. – A Florida mother left a courtroom stunned when she forgave and hugged her teenage daughter’s killer earlier this week.

WFOR reports that Martha Guzman-DeJesus’ 13-year-old daughter was killed when a 16-year-old boy was showing off a gun on a school bus.  The weapon discharged and fatally wounded the girl two years ago.

Jordyn Howe said he was “sorry for her loss” and apologized for the shooting before hugging Guzman-DeJesus.

Howe, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a deadly weapon and two other charges, had been facing 22 months in prison for the shooting of Lourdes “Jina” Guzman-DeJesus.

“It is our hope that … he will join me in going from school to school; from child to child; from parent to parent; from teacher to teacher urging them to understand how dangerous guns are in the hands of children,” Guzman-DeJesus said in court.

As part of the plea deal that Guzman-DeJesus helped orchestrate, Howe will spend a year in juvenile detention and then spend time talking about the dangers of guns.