Girlfriend: Shooting of child was retaliation for homicide

Arrest made in fatal shooting, wounding of 9-year-old.

Police are investigating two shootings—one that left a man dead in Trotwood and another that wounded a 9-year-old in Dayton hours apart Monday.

Dyandria Caffey, 22, the girlfriend of the homicide victim and the sister of the 9-year-old, said the shooting that injured the child was in retaliation for the earlier shooting Monday. Caffey said the suspect in the homicide is a former boyfriend.

A suspect was arrested Monday and is being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

Greg Flannagan, spokesman for the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday police have not determined whether the shootings were connected.

The child was shot in the leg when his home was sprayed with gunfire through the door in the 1100 block of Dennison Avenue.

The boy was released from the hospital and is home recovering.

“The fact that a child was injured makes this an especially dangerous situation for the neighborhood,” Dayton police Lt. Mark Ponichtera said Monday.

Earlier Monday, Charles McDonald, 23, was killed in Trotwood in an apartment complex on Autumn Wood Avenue.

Caffey has children with McDonald and the suspect according to Trotwood Police Chief Erik Wilson. Caffey said she believes the shooting that occurred at her mother’s house on Dennison Avenue was in retaliation for what happened to McDonald.

“I’m dying on the inside because he’s not here with me,” said Caffey.

Dayton police say they are still searching for suspects in the Dennison Avenue shooting that injured the boy.

Caffey said she witnessed the fatal Trotwood shooting, which occurred with her two sons in the home.

McDonald, known by his close friends as “Miami,” was visiting Caffey and their 8-month-old son, she said. Caffey said she received a call from the suspect which turned into an argument over their 3-year-old son.

Later, the suspect entered Caffey’s apartment, unannounced, where they argued again, Caffey said. He then aimed a gun at McDonald’s head, causing Caffey to plead with the suspect for McDonald’s life, she said. The two men fought over the gun, Caffey said.

“Miami tried to grab the gun,” said Caffey. “The gun started going off. My 3-yearold son, he ran in the closet, laid on the floor and hid. I grabbed my baby and — any of us could have got shot. [The suspect] is just shooting not caring where he’s shooting at,” she said.

The struggle ended with the victim on top of the suspect with several more shots being fired, according to Caffey.

McDonald died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s office.

Caffey said at least nine to 10 shots were fired in her apartment. Caffey said she now has to deal with two sons who will both grow up without their fathers, a situation she doesn’t know how she will handle once the boys grow older.

“I don’t even know what to do about that,” said Caffey.