Xavier Pringle was dead before police even finished pulling into the driveway. The 38-year-old lay on a Miami home's kitchen floor with multiple gunshot wounds while first responders attempted life-saving measures that would prove futile. His alleged killer, Jermaine Carol Grant, would soon ask authorities a question that seemed to undermine his self-defense claim: "I over-killed him, right?"
Background
Grant, 32, and Pringle were roommates living together in a home in Miami, Florida. According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, the relationship between the two men had been deteriorating for some time. A witness inside the home told police that things had been "boiling up" between Grant and Pringle for weeks leading up to the shooting.
The trouble allegedly began when Pringle moved into the house. In an interview with investigators, Grant explained that before his roommate arrived, everything in the home was "fine." But once Pringle settled in, Grant said he felt his living space was being taken over. "You can't come in and dominate the house," Grant told police.
Witnesses inside the home recounted hearing about six gunshots fired in rapid succession Saturday night. Pringle's girlfriend had been trying to talk him down earlier that evening after a verbal confrontation with Grant in the kitchen. The dispute reportedly began when Pringle, who liked to break up ice and chew on it, allegedly splashed water on Grant while doing so.
The Investigation
Miami police responded to reports of a shooting at the home Saturday night. When officers arrived, they found Pringle with multiple gunshot wounds. As first responders worked to save him, they noticed a weapon in his waistband—a BB gun. Police also recovered three spent shell casings from the scene.
Pringle was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A subsequent search warrant of the home yielded additional evidence, including blood on the entryway floor, the BB gun on the kitchen counter, and a black Smith & Wesson M&P Shield found in another room along with 11 9mm shell casings.
Ring camera footage from inside the home allegedly captured Grant firing his weapon toward where Pringle lay on the floor. The audio also reportedly caught Grant shouting, "He got a gun on him."
When police interviewed Grant about the shooting, he claimed he feared for his life because Pringle was holding what he believed was a real gun. Grant said that during their heated argument in the kitchen, Pringle kept the weapon visible but eventually placed it in his waistband. Despite this, Grant told investigators he remained afraid because "he still had a gun."
Perhaps most damaging to Grant's self-defense narrative: police noted that Grant himself admitted Pringle "never pointed a firearm at him." Grant explained his reasoning for firing by saying, "It's me or him, I guess." He is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Key Takeaways
- Xavier Pringle, 38, was shot and killed inside a Miami home he shared with his roommate Jermaine Carol Grant, 32
- A BB gun was found in Pringle's waistband when police arrived; Grant allegedly claimed he believed it was real
- Grant admitted to investigators that Pringle never pointed the weapon at him before he fired
- Ring camera footage allegedly showed Grant shooting toward Pringle as he lay on the floor
- Tensions had been building between the roommates since Pringle moved in, witnesses told police
What's Next
Grant has been charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. He made his first court appearance Tuesday, two days after the alleged shooting. His next scheduled court date was not immediately available as of publication.
The investigation remains active, and prosecutors have not yet indicated whether they will seek additional charges or enhancements to the existing murder count.