A Baltimore man was sentenced to life in prison this week for the stray-bullet shooting of a 13-year-old girl that took place just two weeks after he got out of federal custody.
Tavon Battle, 36, was convicted of first-degree murder in November in connection with the fatal shooting of Kelsey Washington on Nov. 7, 2022, CBS News reported.
The teen was shot in the head when Battle opened fire on a crowded corner in East Baltimore, though officials previously noted that the young girl was not his intended target, the Baltimore Sun explained.
Battle – who was released on probation from federal custody related to an armed robbery less than two weeks before the incident – fired at a car and was “probably intending to shoot who was in the vehicle,” but instead hit Washington, then-Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said in 2022.
Battle was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the injury of another bystander who was shot but survived his injuries, according to the Baltimore Sun.
On Tuesday, Battle was sentenced to life in prison plus 35 years, with no possibility of parole for 10 years.
“While this lengthy sentence ensures this defendant will never be free to walk our streets again, it still cannot bring back Kelsey Washington, whose life was taken from her family and community at just 13 years of age,” Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said of the decision, according to CBS.
“This case is a painful reminder of what is at stake when gun violence takes hold of a city, and we must do everything in our power to eliminate it,” Bates added.
Battle has a long criminal history, including several drug and weapons violations dating back to 2006 – when he was only 18 or 19 years old, online records showed.