Tavon Battle: Baltimore man gets life for fatally shooting 13-year-old just weeks after release from custody
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Tavon Battle, a 36-year-old man from Baltimore, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, February 6, for the shooting death of Kelsey Washington, 13.
The tragic incident occurred on November 7, 2022, a mere two weeks after Battle's release from federal custody, where he was serving time for armed robbery.
Kelsey Washington was not the intended target of Tavon Battle
Battle was convicted of first-degree murder in November 2023 for the fatal shooting that shook Southeast Baltimore, as per CBS News.
Reports indicate that Washington wasn't the intended target for Battle, who opened fire "indiscriminately" into a car at the crowded corner of East Fayette and North Caroline streets in East Baltimore on the fateful day.
Then-Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison called Battle's action "brazen and cowardly," while notifying that a second victim of the perpetrator had walked into Johns Hopkins Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds shortly after the shooting took place.
Fortunately, the person survived the incident.
Online records paint a grim picture of Battle's criminal history, as he has faced several drug and weapons-related charges since 2006.
Baltimore State prosecutor reflects on ongoing fight against gun violence
On Tuesday, Battle was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 35 years, with no possibility of parole for the first decade.
In a statement, Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates noted, "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."
He expressed the profound impact of gun violence on communities, stating, "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," as per Baltimore Sun.
