KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities have charged two Kingston men in the fatal shooting last week of a 12-year-old girl.
Gilbert Thomas, 24, and Robert James, 46, also face charges of first-degree assault and first-degree criminal use of a firearm, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports.
Police said both men were involved in the Dec. 17 shooting that killed D’Janeira Mason and injured her 10-year-old brother.
It was not clear whether the men had defense attorneys who could comment on the charges.
Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg said nine shots were fired into a multifamily house on Van Buren Street. The children were standing in a bedroom inside their apartment at the time.
Police did not give a motive for the shooting and said an investigation was ongoing.
“As we continue to grieve and mourn, we must at the same time ensure swift and sure justice for this heinous crime,” Ryan said in a statement.
D’Janeira’s grandfather said she had a lot of character.
“She was just herself,” Timothy Kenner said. “She was a good and sweet girl.”
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