A 13-year-old girl has died a week after she was shot in the head while standing in front of an East Baltimore liquor store, the Baltimore Police Department announced Tuesday evening. Police said they have arrested a 35-year-old man and charged him with first- and second-degree murder in the case.
The girl, who police identified in a news release as Kelsey Washington, was shot Nov. 7 at about 5:19 p.m. in the parking lot of Fayette Liquor Plus at the corner of East Fayette and North Caroline streets. Washington died Monday evening.
Police arrested Tavon Battle in Harford County on Tuesday and charged him in the death. The department said they identified Battle from video footage and still photos. Battle was waiting to appear before a court commissioner and attorney information was not immediately available Tuesday night.
Baltimore police said the investigation remains ongoing.
In a statement, Mayor Brandon Scott said he recently visited Washington’s family.
“My heart is broken over the loss of Kelsey. I asked that all of Baltimore join me in spreading love and light to her family and friends as they deal with such an unspeakable loss,” he said. “There are no words that can describe the pain I saw in Kelsey’s mother’s eyes as I visited with them.”
The mayor asked Baltimore to imagine losing a child to “senseless violence” and how it would affect a person and their family.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said an armed person shot into a car in the lot and hit the girl “who was standing outside, minding her own business.”
It did not appear the girl was the intended target, he said.
