A 15-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been charged with murder after allegedly fatally shooting his stepfather, who had reportedly assaulted his mother just one day earlier.
According to authorities, Ronez Joyce is accused of shooting 30-year-old Levonte Hyde approximately 12 times at their home.
The teen’s mother had previously filed a police report claiming that Hyde had punched her multiple times in the face while they were driving home from the store. Court documents, as reported by FOX19, state that Joyce’s mother had visible injuries to her face.
The report explains that as they were driving home, Hyde called the victim a derogatory name, sparking a verbal argument. He then allegedly began hitting the victim several times in the face with a closed fist while driving.
When they arrived home minutes later, Joyce is said to have shot Hyde at least 12 times.
Police responded around 12:30 a.m., finding Hyde with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Joyce was taken into custody and denied the charges during his court appearance on Friday. He is currently being held until his next court hearing on March 3.
A criminal complaint filed by the Hamilton County Municipal Court revealed that Hyde and Joyce’s mother have two children together.
