A 12-year-old girl was shot and killed in an altercation involving two men in Cleveland.
On Sunday, the Cleveland Police Department responded to the scene where multiple shootings had been reported, near the Dollar Tree on South Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered three individuals with bullet wounds, including a 12-year-old girl who was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, the investigation determined that shots were fired following a verbal, then physical altercation that led to gunfire.
Tiajon Butler, 28, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and discharging a firearm inside the city limits. Butler appeared in municipal court on Monday, where the judge denied him bond, stating he was “a flight risk as well as a continuing danger to the community.”
The second suspect, and the one who allegedly killed the girl, is 30-year-old Ricky Williams. Williams sustained a gunshot wound from the altercation and was taken to a hospital in Memphis for treatment. Upon his release from the hospital, police said Williams will be charged with murder, aggravated assault, and discharging a firearm inside the city limits.
“This was believed to be an isolated incident that unfortunately ended in the tragic death of a 12-year-old child. Anyone involved in such nefarious activities will be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the Cleveland Police Department said in a press release.
The investigation remains active and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Cleveland Police Department at (662) 843-3611.
