More charges added against Brandon 17-year-old in drug deal shooting

BRANDON — Charges against a 17-year-old who is accused of shooting a 21-year-old man in the head during a botched drug deal have intensified since his January arrest.

Gerald Terrell Jones, 17, of Brandon is now charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary and criminal mischief, according to jail records.

At the time of his arrest on Jan. 27, Jones faced charges of attempted felony murder with a firearm. No bail has been set for Jones, who remains in custody.

Jones was picked up by deputies after he was identified by witnesses as the person who shot Daniel Drake, 21, in the head after taking an "undisclosed amount of marijuana" from Drake's vehicle, officials said.

Drake remains in Tampa General Hospital in critical condition, said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesman Larry McKinnon.

Witnesses told deputies that Drake and Jones were conducting a drug deal at about 2 p.m. Jan. 20 near 1412 Mohrlake Drive when the two began to fight. Jones pulled out a pistol and threatened to kill Drake, officials said.

After that, deputies said, Jones opened Drake's car, removed the drugs and attempted to leave. But Drake chased after him, and Jones shot at him several times, deputies said. When deputies arrived on the scene, Drake was bleeding from the head and mouth with a gunshot wound to his head. He was rushed to the hospital with critical wounds.

According to jail and court records, Drake was arrested in 2009 and paid a fine for possession of marijuana.