Police: 3 more juveniles arrested in connection to murder of Covington 14-year-old

COVINGTON, Ky. — Three more juveniles have been charged in connection to the murder of a 14-year-old in Covington's Latonia neighborhood.

Amani Smith's family said he and his girlfriend were shot at the intersection of 39th and Decoursey while walking to his grandmother's house on Jan. 23. Both were taken to the hospital, where Smith later died.

The next day, police charged a 17-year-old with murder. The teen was taken to Campbell County Regional Juvenile Detention Center, where they will be held without bond until a hearing to determine whether they will be indicted as an adult or juvenile.

Covington Police Lt. Justin Bradbury said in a release that officers on Wednesday apprehended three more juvenile suspects from Covington and Newport. All three were taken to the juvenile detention center and charged with complicity to murder.

Following Smith's death, his family noted that there were "a lot of people with blood on their hands."

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"I'm not stopping until justice is served," said his mother, Amber Smith. "My son is not going to die going down like this. It's just not gonna happen."

Community members gathered shortly after the shooting to discuss ways to address ongoing violence throughout the city — including at schools. Smith's family said they believe his shooting was a result of an incident at school involving his older brother. The family said the situation turned into harassment, and they tried to speak to Covington Independent Public Schools about their concerns.

"This could have been avoided if proper procedures were taken with this, but it wasn't," said his father, Buddy Walton.

Several people expressed their concerns about the shooting at the following Board of Education meeting, with Board Chair Tom Haggard acknowledging that "we have a lot of work to do" to restore a sense of community and help children achieve their dreams.

It is unclear at this time if those arrested attended Smith's school or were involved in any of the harassment Smith's mother referenced. Police are not naming any suspects as they are all juveniles.