On Thursday, friends and family came together to honor a 15-year-old girl who was shot dead in Elsmere, reportedly by a 15-year-old male.
In Tristen Paige Smith’s honor, about 100 people gathered at her home in Green Township and let out balloons.
As Amyiah Thompson put it, “We just can’t stop crying.” You just see tears.
Even days after the shooting, Kara Thompson, like many others in the audience, said it was difficult to comprehend how someone so young could have died so abruptly.
I can t wrap my head around it. It does not seem real, she said.
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Thompson recalled Smith as a lively, fun-loving girl who stood up for others.
She claimed that the acquaintance who frequently spent the night at her residence enjoyed cheering and dancing.
Before the balloon was released, the audience cheered and spelled her name.
“We will always miss her,” Musgrove remarked.
The gun that killed Tristan Paige Smith is still being sought by Elsmere police. The 15-year-old youngster reportedly informed police that he dropped the gun at an undisclosed area while running away.
The boy has been taken into custody and is accused of tampering with physical evidence and homicide.
Around 8:46 p.m. on Monday, Elsmere police reported that they were called to a shooting scene on Autumn Road and discovered Smith with gunshot wounds to her chest and arm. She died at the scene, according to the police.
Police say prosecutors will determine whether to trial the youngster as an adult at a later time.
Because of his age, authorities did not disclose the suspect’s name.
Officers are asking locals to keep an eye out for the gun and to dial 911 right away if they find it. In order to preserve the integrity of the DNA and fingerprint evidence, they also advised against touching the gun because they believe it is loaded.
After Tuesday’s shooting, police searched various parts of Elsmere for the gun, but they didn’t seem to find it.
This story originally appeared at WCPO.com.
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