COVINGTON, Ky. — Covington police have charged a 17-year-old with murder following a shooting Tuesday afternoon that killed 14-year-old Amani Smith.
According to the coroner, Smith died at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after he was shot near Latonia Elementary. A second teen, identified by Smith's family as his girlfriend, was taken to the hospital after the shooting; officials have not provided an update on her condition or whether she has been released from the hospital.
Police said officers were called to the intersection of 39th and Decoursey for the shooting at around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Neighbor Holly Releford said she ran outside as soon as she heard a loud boom, thinking it was a car wreck. She found a boy lying on the ground and a girl who said she was also shot.
"I tried to save him," Releford said. "I hope he's OK, and I don't know what else to say ... I'm kind of lost."
Releford said there were a lot of kids in the area because they were getting dropped off by the bus.
"And, then all the kids I guess from the bus started to run over here and they were screaming," she said.
In a message on its website, Latonia Elementary School said police told school officials to "secure in place" at around 3:30 p.m. due to the shooting. Students who were inside the school for after-school activities were let out around 5 p.m.
Police said on Wednesday they took a 17-year-old into custody in connection to the death. He was charged with murder and will be at Campbell County Regional Juvenile Detention Center. The teen's name will not be released due to his age, police said.
The 17-year-old was arraigned in court on Thursday, where a judge ordered they be held without a bond until a hearing to determine whether they will be indicted as an adult or as a juvenile.
The investigation is ongoing. Police have asked anyone living in the area to check their camera systems for footage that could help.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Covington police at 859-292-2234 or Cincinnati/NKY Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.
