Man receives life sentence for shooting, killing 13-year-old girl in Southeast Baltimore

BALTIMORE -- A man was sentenced Tuesday for the killing of a 13-year-old girl in November 2022, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office said. 

Tavon Battle was found guilty in Baltimore Circuit Court of first-degree murder last November.

He was convicted of "indiscriminately" shooting at a car on East Fayette Street, killing a teenage girl.

On the day of the shooting, one of the bullets fired from Battle's gun struck 13-year-old Kelsey Washington, according to authorities.

"While this lengthy sentence ensures this defendant will never be free to walk our streets again, it still cannot bring back Kelsey Washington, whose life was taken from her family and community at just 13 years of age."  Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates said.  "This case is a painful reminder of what is at stake when gun violence takes hold of a city, and we must do everything in our power to eliminate it."

Battle was sentenced to life plus 35 years, with the first ten years without parole.