A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the alleged murder of his 15-year-old girlfriend and her nine-year-old brother in Baltimore, just days after he allegedly threatened to kill the teenager if she was involved with other boys.
The suspect, Keith Maurice James Jr., is facing two counts of first-degree murder over the July 7 shooting that claimed the lives of Giovanna Myrie and her younger brother, Steve Allen.
According to court documents, Myrie had shared disturbing messages from James with a friend just days before the attack.
“Keith said if I cheat he finna put the gun inside me. Help me,” she reportedly wrote in a text message.
The friend also told investigators that on July 4, Myrie and James joined a FaceTime call while lying in bed, during which James was allegedly seen holding a gun.
On the day of the shooting, Myrie reportedly informed the same friend that James was expected to visit her home around 4 p.m. Investigators said cellphone records and surveillance footage later placed the suspect near the residence at about 4:20 p.m.
Around 7:20 p.m., Myrie's mother returned home and discovered both children dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough described nine-year-old Allen as an “innocent bystander.”
Police said James admitted he had been in a relationship with Myrie for about two months but claimed he had not seen her in person since July 4.
He was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in court on Thursday, where his lawyer waived a bond hearing.
Reacting to the tragedy, McCullough said the case highlights the growing concern over teen dating violence.
“This case highlights for me a couple issues. One is juvenile violence itself, violence by juveniles on other juveniles. It’s just dating violence, teen violence between people who have relationships, so we need to be mindful of those things,” he said.
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