Gunman sentenced to 30 years for drive-by shooting that killed 9-year-old
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A man will spend at least 30 years in jail after an estimated 30 gunshots were fired into a Silverton home, killing a 9-year-old girl.
Qasseem Dixon, 27, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other charges Tuesday for the 2023 shooting that killed Da’Myiah Barton-Pickens.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Winkler sentenced Dixon to 30 to 35 years in prison as part of the plea agreement.
Barton-Pickens, 9, was inside her grandma’s Plainfield Road home on July 10, 2023, with a friend when then Hamilton County prosecutor Melissa Powers said around 30 shots were fired into the house.
Barton-Pickens was hit by one of the gunshots and taken to the hospital, where she later died. Her friend was grazed by a bullet and survived.
Latisha Coplin, Barton-Pickens’ grandmother, spoke in court Tuesday.
“It was my house that you came and shot up 32 freaking times where one of the bullets hit my granddaughter and ended her life. I’m not okay with that at all, and I believe in God strongly, and I know in order to heal, you have to forgive somebody, but right now that’s not it," Coplin said.
The July 2023 shooting was not random.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting was in retaliation for a robbery.
Dixon offered Barton-Pickens’ family an apology, while saying it was not his intent to end the little girl’s life.
“I didn’t wake up that day and say, ‘I’m about to do this,’” Dixon told the family. “I’m sorry y’all lost somebody. I can’t say it was an accident because I didn’t accidentally shoot no gun, but it wasn’t intentional for her. It wasn’t for her. That wasn’t my intent, so I’m sorry y’all got to go through that. I’m remorseful. I’m sorry y’all got to go through that, and I just got to live with it from here on out, but I hope y’all get closure and I hope you guys know I’m remorseful, I’m sorry, y’all got to go through it. I’m hurting myself because that was not my intent. That ain’t what I wanted to do, but it happened. I’m sorry that it happened.”
Dixon was not the lone gunman, according to prosecutors.
Ryan Brown, 29, is scheduled to go to trial in July for aggravated murder and other charges.
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