CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Cleveland Heights Police are investigating after a 15-year-old girl was found dead inside a home. A 14-year-old suspect turned himself in on Tuesday.
Police were called to a home in the 3900 block of Bluestone Road on New Year's Day around 9 p.m. for reports of a gunshot. When they arrived, they found Narayia Thomas with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
At about 2 p.m. Tuesday, a 14-year-old suspect surrendered to Cleveland Heights Police with an attorney present, police said in an update. He was taken to the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, where a county prosecutor wrote up complaints. He is being held at the detention center and has been charged with murder and felonious assault.
“Our hearts are with the family of the victim, Narayia Thomas, a young woman whose life was taken far too soon,” said Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren. “We mourn her loss together with the entire Cleveland Heights community.
“We’re relieved that a suspect is in custody and surrendered peacefully. The fact that he is also a juvenile, one who had access to a gun, however, only compounds the tragedy.”
Residents in the area were shocked to hear the news. Kenneth Taylor has lived on Bluestone Road for more than 40 years and has never has any issues.
“It’s quiet, nice, good neighbors. Everybody pretty much stays to their own in terms of what they're doing. There's no partying, loud noises, music playing, it’s a good neighborhood,” said Taylor.
Terry Phillips said the same thing. He’s lived in the neighborhood for eight years and walks his dog down Bluestone Road all the time.
“It's relatively safe. Any shootings or something like that happens, it's one in a million,” said Phillips.
On New Year’s Day, when they saw police fill the street, it was out of the ordinary. Later, they both learned that a 15-year-old girl had been killed.
“It is a tragedy, they just moved in a couple of months ago and anytime you hear of a young person that age passing away or any type of way, it’s a tragedy,” said Taylor.
“It never ever dawned on me that something to this extent happened where a child lost their life. I would never have thought that, especially in this community,” said Phillips.
Police said they had identified a juvenile boy as the suspect and believe the victim and family knew him.
Phillips and Taylor grieve for the family and just wish people would put down their guns.
“Please, give it some thought before you do things like that, before you take a life,” said Taylor.
“Nobody wants to lose a child — a little girl — like that. That’s worse, that's bad, period — just terrible,” said Phillips.
Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call police at 216-291-3883.
