A Franklin County grand jury has indicted an Ohio man who fatally shot a 13-year-old boy last fall on multiple felony charges.
None of the charges was for murder, despite witnesses noting the suspect got out of his vehicle to shoot the teen.
The 37-year-old has since been arrested, charged, and booked into county jail and is waiting his next day in court. Still, the victim’s mother is disappointed and wants justice.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kreig Butler on Sunday, May 21, days after he was indicted on charges of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence related to the shooting death of Sinzae Reed in Columbus on Oct. 12, 2022.
For the firearm charge, Butler faces six to 18 months in prison and a possible fine of $5,000.
If found guilty of tampering with evidence, the man could serve up to 36 months in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Sinzae’s death captured the attention of the nation because of the seemingly extraordinary circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Reports show one witness spotted Butler, who was the boy’s neighbor, exiting a red truck, firing at Reed, and then driving off. Police got a call about the shooting around 5:45 p.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the boy gravely injured before paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced died around 6:30 p.m.
According to Sinzae’s autopsy, the boy was shot twice, with bullets hitting him in his chest and right wrist, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
Authorities arrested Butler for murder a day later, with a $1 million bond. However, he was later released when those charges were dismissed eight days after the shooting.
Butler said he acted in self-defense. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office states the dismissal was “standard practice” before sending it to the grand jury. The Dispatch reports, “Under an Ohio law that went into effect in 2019,…
Read the full article here
