CINCINNATI -- Nine-year-old Alexandrea Thompson hid behind her father whenever she was scared, including on the last night of her life. On Jan. 18, 2017, when armed men entered the family home and began to shoot, the bullets passed through him and into her.
He survived the night. Alexandrea, although she was rushed to Children's Hospital, did not.
Their surviving family worried openly that the attackers would never be found because people who knew them wouldn't tell the police.
On Wednesday, nearly a year after the girl’s death, Cincinnati Police announced they had finally charged a pair of suspects. Azuriah Hoskins Jr., 18, and Ke’von Smith, 19, both face murder charges.
“Due to the hard work and diligence of our investigators, as well as a continuing cooperative effort with the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, this case was brought to a successful resolution,” Police Chief Eliot Isaac said in a statement.
Alexandrea, whom teacher Claudia Ehrle described as an "exceptional student" with an infectious smile, would have turned 11 this April.
A judge set a $2 million bond for Smith Thursday morning. Hoskins appeared in juvenile court briefly Thursday afternoon. He was 17 at the time of the shooting. There will be a hearing Jan. 25 to decide if he will be tried as an adult.
$2 million bond for Ke’von Smith who is charged with shooting & killing 9-year-old Alexandrea Thompson nearly a year ago. @WCPO pic.twitter.com/5Ruso00efe
— Ally Kraemer (@AllyKraemer) January 11, 2018
