DAVION POWELL - 3 yo (2011) Accused: Roderick Moss - Louisville KY

3-year-old hit by stray gunfire near downtown Louisville dies

'Loving little boy' was shot Friday



Memorial for the 3-year-old boy who was hit in the head Friday
night by stray gunfire died at Kosair Children's Hospital, on Monday
afternoon. He was hit during an altercation at the 550 Apartments in the
500 block of South Eighth Street, but no arrests have been made. In
front of steps, Takara Love, 22 Aunt of the boy that died and Raymond
Evans, 18 cousin. (Kylene Lloyd, The Courier-Journal) May 16, 2011


Takara Love sat in a stairwell in the 550 Apartments on Monday
thinking of her 3-year-old nephew, who loved to sing at church and who
became Louisville's most recent homicide victim.

Nearby, Love had set up a small memorial of a flowered cross surrounded by teddy bears and other stuffed animals outside the apartment where Davion Powell was shot late Friday after being caught in the middle of a dispute among neighbors.

Davion died Monday afternoon at Kosair Children's Hospital, said Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Sam Weakley.

“We're trying to stay strong,” said Love, 22. “He was just a loving little boy.”

Davion, who lived in the 4500 block of Broadleaf Drive, was hit in the head by stray gunfire in the downtown housing complex in the 500 block of South Eighth Street. Homicide investigators are still looking for a person of interest in the case, and no arrests have been made, Louisville Metro Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said.

Love said her nephew loved to be happy and to make others happy. Davion enjoyed his grandparents taking him to church, where he relished singing hymns, she said.

At home, whenever “Teach Me How to Dougie” played, he'd break into a dance, Love said.

Along with memories of the boy's life, Love also recalled the fresh images of his death. The first-floor apartment where Davion was shot belongs to Love's sister, another one of the boy's aunts.

Love, Davion and other relatives were at the apartment late Friday. They were gathered outside in the complex courtyard when neighbors walked over and tried to provoke a fight, Love said.

The children were sent inside as adults tried to deal with the dispute, which Love said began about a month ago over someone's boyfriend.

A short time later, a man Love had never seen before walked up to them from Eighth Street. Carrying a gun, he asked Love's sister whether this was her apartment, then fired through her windows, Love said. She said she didn't know how many shots he fired, only that it was many.

Tears rolled down Love's cheeks as she sat outside her sister's apartment Monday. The windows broken by gunfire were replaced that morning, she said, but bloodstains remained inside.Behind her, Raymond Evans, an 18-year-old cousin of Davion, shook his head.

“He didn't deserve it,” Evans said.

In a separate shooting Sunday, a 10-year-old girl was hit in the arm at a house in the 500 block of North 31st Street. Her injuries were not life-threatening.

Dwight Mitchell, a police spokesman, said that the children were not the intended targets in either shooting. The shootings do not appear to be related, he said.

Anyone with information about the shootings can call the anonymous crime tip line at 574-LMPD.


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Warrant issued for arrest of Louisville suspect in 3-year-old's shooting

2:12 PM, May. 18, 2011

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a Louisville man they believe is responsible for the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old last week.

Roderick Moss, 21, is wanted in the May 13 shooting death of Davion Powell, who died Monday afternoon at Kosair Children's Hospital. Powell was inside an apartment in the 500 block of South Eighth Street when shots were fired from outside into the apartment, hitting him in the head, police have said.

Lt. Barry Wilkerson, head of the Louisville Metro Police Department's homicide unit, would not go into details Wednesday about a specific motive for the shooting, or who the intended target might have been.

“It appears that there have been some ongoing disputes in that area, we're still trying to piece all of that together, as far as all of the people involved,” Wilkerson said at a press conference Wednesday morning announcing Moss as a suspect in the shooting.

Wilkerson said a combination of community involvement and detective work led to Moss.

“When you have a 3-year-old boy who is totally innocent in the whole situation, who had no involvement whatsoever, it's tragic that little boy will never grow up,” he said. “Obviously that's why we want to get this individual off the street.”

Wilkerson said Moss had a minimal criminal history that included assault and drug charges.

Anyone with information about Moss' whereabouts is asked to call the police department's anonymous crime tip line at 574-LMPD.

The family of Powell, and 14-year-old Trey Zwicker, who was found dead behind Liberty High School on East Indian Trail last week, plan to gather on Sunday afternoon at Jefferson Square Park downtown for a memorial dedicated to the two, the city's most recent homicides.

Powell's mother said she decided to donate his organs to Kosair Children's Hospital because of the way he interacted with other children, according to Christopher 2X, a family spokesman.

“It was a way to give his heart back to somebody else,” 2X said.

Police have said they are investigating Zwicker's death as a homicide, but the cause of death has not been released by the coroner's office due to the ongoing investigation.

No arrests have been made in Zwicker's case.

Sunday's event, which is open to the public, has been named “Remembering Davion and Trey” and is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., 2X said.

Anyone wanting to attend is encouraged to bring a toy for the memorial.


http://www.mydesert.com/article/B2/20110518/NEWS01/305180117

Mother of 3-year-old Davion Powell hoping for justice now that shooter is behind bars

by Anna Prendergast

Posted on May 20, 2011 at 11:46 PM

Updated yesterday at 5:33 AM

(WHAS11) The news that 21-year-old Roderick Moss was turning himself in after a police search spread quickly to the grieving mother of 3-year-old Davion Powell.

“God have mercy on his soul; justice has been served,” said Rodericka Bryant, 3-year-old Davion’s mother.

Last Friday the 3-year-old was shot in the head and killed by a stray bullet; the man police believe pulled the trigger, Roderick Moss, is now in jail charged with murder and wanton endangerment.

Davion Powell was inside an apartment off 8th street; there were also other children inside. The 3-year-olds mother believes an argument that had been brewing between her family and other people in the complex was the motive behind the shooting. She believes her innocent son was caught in the crossfire.

As for Roderick Moss we tried several times to ask him questions on his walk to turn himself into police this afternoon, but he didn’t say a word.


http://www.whas11.com/news/Mother-of-3-year-old-Davion-Powell-hoping-for-justice-now-that-shooter-behind-bars-122371779.html

Three suspects enter not guilty pleas in 3-year-old's shooting death
Posted: Updated:

Davion Powell (source: family photo)



LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Three people police say were involved in the shooting death of a 3-year-old boy were in court Monday and all pleased not guilty.

Roderick Moss is charged with murder after police say he fired a gun outside the 550 Apartments on Eighth Street on May 13th. A stray bullet struck 3-year-old Davion Powell, who was inside one of the apartments, in the head. 

Powell died 3 days later. Moss surrendered to police on May 20.

Juanisha Saunders is charged with complicity to murder, retaliation against a witness and tampering.

Lakeycha Ferguson pope is charged with retaliating against a witness.

Tenants at the 550 Apartments told WAVE News that a dispute dating back to February led to the shooting.

All three were scheduled to return to court on Aug. 13 for a pre-trial conference.

Copyright 2011 WAVE News. All rights reserved.





http://www.wave3.com/story/14895060/three-suspects-enter-not-guilty-pleas-in-3-year-olds-shooting-death

Roderick Moss sentenced for child killing
Posted: Updated:
By Katherine Kington

Roderick Moss was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday.

Davion Powell (Source: Family photo)

Moss listened as Davion Powell's grandfather called Moss a "coward" and "baby killer" in court.

Davion's family listens to the boy's grandfather making an impassioned statement at Moss's sentencing hearing.

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The Louisville man accused of opening fire at an apartment off 8th Street last year which killed a three-year-old boy has been formally sentenced.

In July, Roderick Moss pled guilty to manslaughter and wanton endangerment in the May 13, 2011 shooting and eventual death of Davion Powell. During a court appearance Thursday morning, Moss was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

During the emotional sentencing hearing, the family of young Davion Powell sat and cried while the boy's grandfather addressed Moss and the court.

"You're nothing but a baby killer," said Clarence Young. "You'll always be a coward and a baby killer."

Outside the courtroom, Young said, "The pain and agony will always be, but we have good memories of Davion so I have nothing but great memories right now just knowing that this is over and behind us."

Moss received a 10 year sentence for manslaughter in the death of Davion. He was also sentenced to a total of 10 years for five counts of wanton endangerment. The sentences will be served consecutively.

In addition, Moss was also sentenced to one year each for assault, criminal mischief and wanton endangerment charges involving an altercation with Davion's mother. Those sentences will run concurrent to his 20 year sentence.

Copyright 2012 WAVE News. All rights reserved.


http://www.wave3.com/story/19596002/roderick-moss-sentenced-for-child-killing

What a precious little boy.

I love it when the judge gives a consecutive instead of concurrent sentence.