Three men have now been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a 9-year-old girl in Ohio Monday night.
The shooting happened on Plainfield Road just after 11:30 p.m. Monday. Officials say it was a drive-by shooting, where 30 rounds were fired in a home.
The sheriff’s office said two girls and a woman were inside at the time of the shooting, including 9-year-old Da’Myiah Barton-Pickens, who was struck and killed.
The first person to be arrested was 25-year-old Qasseem Dixon. He is charged with the aggravated murder of Barton-Pickens. He is also facing a charge of having weapons under disability.
He is being held on a $2.5 million bond. Prosecutors said Dixon has been previously convicted on charges including weapons under disability, possession of cocaine and fentanyl and felony fleeing and eluding.
Investigators said Dixon and 27-year-old Ryan Brown, who was arrested Thursday, drove to Silverton and opened fire at the home on Plainfield Road, killing 9-year-old Barton-Pickens.
McGuffey shared a potential motive Thursday, saying the sheriff’s office believes the motive was retaliation from some type of drug issue, possibly a robbery. McGuffey could not specify what the exact relationship was between the young girl and the relative targeted in the retaliation shooting. The relative was not in the home at the time of the shooting, McGuffey said.
McGuffey said Brown turned himself in Thursday and has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder.
A third suspect, 22-year-old Demario Williams has also been arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Traffic charges are also pending. The sheriff’s office said Williams allegedly was trying to help the other two cover up the murder.
The sheriff’s office said Williams was with Dixon when they were located using drone technology. After a short pursuit and crash, both were arrested. Another driver involved in the crash suffered minor injuries but is expected to be okay.
Weapons were also recovered from the vehicle involved.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey called the incident a “horrendous murder” saying, “It is absolutely not acceptable to act in this way.”
“We’re not going to stop until we apprehend you. It’s beyond ridiculous that children are being shot and gunned down because people, these men, can’t resolve their difference,” McGuffey said.
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