Baltimore County police arrested 16-year-old Keith Maurice James Jr. in connection with the July 7 shooting deaths of 15-year-old Giovanna Myrie and her 9-year-old brother, Steve Allen, inside their Gwynn Oak home. Investigators say witness statements, cell-phone location data and surveillance footage linked James to the scene and to prior visits to the house. A friend reported video calls and threatening messages; police say text messages on Myrie's tablet echoed those threats. James has been charged as an adult and is being held without bail.
16-Year-Old Charged in Gwynn Oak Fatal Shooting of 15-Year-Old Girl and 9-Year-Old Brother
WMAR - PHOTO: Baltimore County police announce they have made an arrest in a shooting that killed two siblings in Gwynn Oak.
A 16-year-old has been arrested and charged in the July 7 fatal shooting of two siblings inside their Gwynn Oak home in Baltimore County, authorities said.
Keith Maurice James Jr., 16, was charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of use of a firearm in a crime of violence in the deaths of 15-year-old Giovanna Myrie and her 9-year-old brother, Steve Allen, police said. The children's mother discovered the victims and called 9-1-1, according to the criminal complaint.
WMAR - PHOTO: Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough says the suspect was known to the victims. He has been charged as an adult.
Evidence and Investigation
Baltimore County investigators said they identified James after interviewing witnesses and reviewing cell-phone location data and surveillance footage that placed him near the house around the time of the killings. Police also say surveillance video appears to show the suspect taking a bus to the residence before the shooting and leaving by bus afterward.
The criminal complaint indicates James had been inside the home previously. A friend of Myrie told police the 15-year-old had recently video-chatted with a boy named "Keith." That friend reported seeing a male believed to be James with Myrie on July 4, allegedly holding a handgun. Investigators say they also recovered text messages on Myrie's tablet that mirrored threats the victim had described to the friend.
WMAR - PHOTO: Baltimore County police announce they have made an arrest in a shooting that killed two siblings in Gwynn Oak.
Official Remarks
“When you consider how horrific this crime was carried out, it was terrible. When you reflect on the fact that a child who had just turned 16 carried out this crime and did it in the manner he did, it's troubling,” Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said at a news conference.
McCullough said investigators took extra time to build a thorough case because of the suspect's age. James is being held without bail; attorney information was not immediately available.
Note on Language: Charges and allegations described here are based on the criminal complaint and public statements by law enforcement. The suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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