A 43-year-old grandmother from Liberty Township, Ohio, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of felonious assault.
Mia Desiree Harris is accused of deliberately shooting her six-month-old granddaughter.
The incident occurred early on Saturday morning, December 9, 2023, at a townhouse on Dutchview Court in Liberty Township.
According to Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, the baby girl suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Officials have said that the shooting was not an accident but a calculated act of violence.
Detective Dan Turner with the Sheriff’s Office testified that Harris smiled and handed her infant granddaughter to a relative after she shot her.
Deputies responded to the scene after receiving reports of an infant being shot. Upon arrival, they found the critically injured baby and immediately transported her to UC West Chester Hospital. The baby later underwent surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Authorities suggest that a family dispute escalated to violence. Harris allegedly fired shots at other family members during the argument but missed, before turning the gun on the infant. She broke down a locked bedroom door, firing several shots through it before shooting the baby, who was lying on a bed, at close range.
After the shooting, Harris fled the scene but was later apprehended by deputies. She led them on a brief pursuit before being arrested near the townhouse.
Harris made her first court appearance shortly after, where a prosecutor informed the judge of the baby’s grave condition. Her bond was set at $1.5 million. Harris is under a court order to stay away from minors and the victims if released from jail.
The motives behind the shooting remain unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.
