14-year-old in juvenile court as suspect in murder of Rhema Harris

A delinquency petition has been filed in juvenile court against a 14-year-old who is a suspect in the death of corrections officer Rhema Harris.

The delinquency petition was filed for murder, attempted murder and criminal recklessness.

Braxton Bird, 17, was charged with murder, attempted murder and criminal recklessness in adult court on July 27 also in connection with Harris' death.

The prosecutor's office has filed a petition for a waiver of jurisdiction in this case. A hearing will be held on September 16 to determine whether the 14-year-old will be waived to adult court.

Because the 14-year-old is being charged as a juvenile, ABC57 has chosen not to name the suspect.

BACKGROUND

The shooting happened on June 26 at a home on Milburn Avenue.

Police said two people in a vehicle traveling east to west in the alley behind the home fired shots at the back of the home. One of the suspects was firing a handgun, the other had a rifle, reports said.

One of the rifle shots went through a storm door, into the home and struck Harris - who was in the kitchen. She was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

After the shooting, a juvenile victim at the scene told police Braxton Bird was responsible for the shooting. She had been having difficulty with him since Bird was caught burglarizing her stepfather's home, reports said.

Bird had told her he was going to "pull up" on her via messages on social media.

Multiple witnesses reported seeing a Chevy Impala in the area at the time of the shooting.

There were five people in the Impala at the time of the shooting. Three of the passengers spoke independently to police about the shooting.

Two of the witnesses confirmed Bird and his 14-year-old brother fired shots from the vehicle. They said Bird fired a rifle and his brother fired a handgun. They said there were multiple people in the yard when Bird and his brother fired shots at them, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Officers impounded the Impala and located several spent rifle casings inside.

Officers noted at the time of the shooting, Bird was on a GPS tether for a burglary conviction. At the time of the shooting the GPS coordinates placed Bird in the area of the 1800 and 1900 blocks of Milburn Avenue, according to the probable cause affidavit.