A 23-year-old has been convicted of a lesser charge in the killing of 8-year-old Royta Giles during a 2020 shootout inside the Riverchase Galleria.

A Jefferson County jury on Monday, after deliberating five hours Friday and several more this morning, handing down a reckless manslaughter verdict for Demetrius Jackson.

He was also convicted of three counts of second-degree assault in the wounding of Chateria Brant, Walter Hudson and 11-year-old Senia Escobar Farjado, also innocent bystands..

Jackson was one of three people who were charged with capital murder.

Montez Moses Miracle Coleman, 26, pleaded guilty in June to a reduced charge of reckless murder and three counts of second-degree. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

King Gary Williams, 23, pleaded guilty to the same charges in October. Williams was sentenced to 25 years on the reckless murder conviction.

The jury in Jackson’s case had the choice of convicting him for capital murder, reckless murder, reckless manslaughter or acquitting him.

Under Alabama law, a person commits reckless manslaughter if he or she recklessly causes the death of another. The crime is a Class B felony.

Jackson’s sentencing is set for March 17. He faces up to 20 years on the manslaughter conviction and up to 10 years on each assault charge.

Read full coverage of the case here

Prosecutors claim all three fired their guns that day and were responsible for Royta’s death and the wounding of the others, regardless of whether their bullets struck anyone.

“Everyone who shot was wrong. And everyone who is wrong is responsible,’’ said Deputy District Attorney Julie McMakin.

Jackson’s lead attorney, Victor Revill, said his client was fired on first, and returned fire in self-defense. He said there’s no evidence Jackson’s bullets struck anyone.

“There’s no one piece of evidence that this man did anything but defend himself,’’ Revill said, “which we all have the right to do.”

“This man,’’ Revill said, “was put in an impossible situation.”

Jackson’s trial began last week before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Shanta Owens. Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty.

The defense did not put on any witnesses. Royta’s mother, Jessica Layfield, testified Thursday, and later said she is thankful the ordeal is nearly at an end.

Deputy District Attorneys McMakin, Shawn Allen, and Elise Driskell prosecuted. Jackson is represented by attorneys Revill, Hunter Horton and Tracy Edmond.

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Royta was killed when he, his mother, stepfather and younger sisters were waiting to go into the Children’s Place to buy new outfits for the Fourth of July.

Police said Coleman, Williams and Jackson exchanged gunfire and when the shooting stopped, Royta was motionless on the mall floor, surrounded by his family.

Royta had been shot in the head and would be pronounced dead within hours.

At the time of his death, Royta had just finished the second grade at Jonesboro Elementary School in Bessemer, where he was an honor roll student and adored by his teachers and school administrators.

Police said an ongoing feud between the young men came to a head when they encountered each other inside the mall that Friday.

Testimony showed Coleman fired the first shot through his book bag. Williams and Jackson returned fire.

In all, 13 shots were fired inside the busy mall that Friday.

According to testimony, Coleman’s shot did not hit anybody. Revill claimed there was no evidence that Jackson’s shots hit anybody either.

Authorities have said Williams’ bullet killed Royta.

In closing arguments last week, Revill said, “We do not stand here and say to you no crime occurred. A crime 100 percent occurred but the person who committed that crime was not Demetrius Jackson.”

“The person who did that crime was Montez Coleman,’’ Revill said. “But for Montez Coleman’s actions, we are never here.”

Allen, in his sometimes-tearful closing arguments, described what happened in the mall that day as mutual combat.

In that situation, Allen said, all parties are criminally liable in the death and injuries that occurred.

“This isn’t a case about rights,’’ he said. “This is about wrong.’’

“The self-defense law is not you just get to shoot somebody and think you were acting in self-defense. That’s not how it works,’’ he said. “There are rules.”

To be justified in using deadly force, Allen said, you can’t be the aggressor, and it can’t be product of mutual combat.

“Mutual combat can be something as simple as you start taking off your earrings, I start taking off my watch. You start rolling up your sleeves, I start pulling up my pants,’’ Allen said.

“I’m sitting on “G” and waiting on “O” and all that’s got to happen is you throw the first punch and we’re going.”

“We didn’t say anything, but our body language is telling each other we’re getting ready to do,’’ he said. “That’s mutual combat.”