Police have arrested and charged three men in connection with the drive-by shooting of a nine-year-old girl, Ohio authorities say.
Officers on Wednesday charged 25-year-old Qasseem Dixon with aggravated murder and weapons under disability, the Hamilton County Sherrif’s Office (HCSO) said at a live press conference. Demario Williams, 22, was charged Thursday with carrying concealed weapons and pending traffic charges, and Ryan Brown, 27, was charged the same day with aggravated murder, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey will host a press conference at 3pm today about the homicide investigation into the death of 9 year old Da’Myiah Barton-Pickens.
We will stream the press conference live on our Facebook page. #HCSO
— Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (@hcso_org) July 13, 2023
Dixon and Brown allegedly carried out an act of retaliation Monday night after Brown was robbed by a suspect believed to be the nine-year-old’s relative, the Enquirer reported. They targeted the alleged suspect’s residence, firing approximately 30 rounds into the home, police said. One of the bullets struck and fatally wounded the nine-year-old victim. Authorities said they suspect the motive behind the shooting was drug-related, but the investigation remains ongoing.
“Just one day after this shooting occurred, we had two of these individuals under surveillance with our drone technology,” Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said during the press conference. (RELATED: Man Shoots Mother Of His Child In The Face While She Holds Baby, Witness Alleges)
Officers found Dixon hiding at Williams’ residence. The two suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle but crashed into a concrete bench. One suspect tried to flee on foot but was captured right away. Williams is believed to have become involved in the investigation by attempting to conceal the crime. Authorities recovered an AK-47 and two handguns from the vehicle.
An adult woman and two young children were present in the house at the time of the shooting incident, police said; however, the target of the retaliation was allegedly not found at the location.
“The speed of this apprehension was intentional,” McGuffey said. “This is beyond ridiculous that children are being shot and gunned down because these young men can’t resolve their differences without a weapon.”
The mother has made a GoFundMe to help pay for burial expenses. “My daughter was robbed from her life,” Danieka Pickens wrote. “[I] want to send her home the right way.”