22-year-old gets 50 years in prison for murder of former Humble ISD classmate in 2020

HUMBLE, Texas (KTRK) -- A 22-year-old Houston man was sentenced to 50 years in prison last week for the 2020 murder of a former high school classmate.

A jury sentenced Jaqwaun Glenn Pradia on Thursday after convicting him of murder during a weeklong trial for the deadly shooting of Eric Demetris Willis on March 15, 2020.

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Pradia must serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

"Far too often we see disagreements, arguments and fights escalate into murders because someone wants to start shooting," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "This young man had a promising future - he had just signed with a university to go play football - and his life was ended in an instant because of a gun."

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According to the DA's office, Willis and several former students, who were all friends, met at the Atascocita High School football field to play a friendly, seven-on-seven football game.

Surveillance video shows Pradia, who was driven to the field, jump out of the vehicle, charge the field, and shoot 19-year-old Willis at least four times. Pradia was also 19 at the time.

We may never know why Pradia killed Willis, the DA's office said. "The defendant had the opportunity to explain this senseless killing when he testified, and he didn't," Assistant District Attorney Amanda Benavides said.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office previously said the two men had a history of disputes.

Willis reportedly spent the year after graduating high school playing wide receiver at a junior college. He was expected to play football for a university in Oklahoma the following autumn.

"He was supposed to have a career, a family and great life, but none of that will happen now because of what the defendant did," Benavides said.