UPDATE @ 10:57 a.m. (Jan. 20)
The suspect in last week’s shooting death of 13-month-old Elijah J. Johnson had hidden a 9 mm gun and magazine with 13 live rounds that matched the caliber used in the homicide.
Dayton police recovered the gun that was placed under insulation in the attic of 1020 Bunche Drive, where murder suspect Shawn D. Smith was at during a three-hour standoff that ended with his apprehension Monday night.
Diana Hicks and Isaiah Smith also were shot Jan. 14, but were treated and released. It was Isaiah Smith who identified Shawn Smith and Dontay King as the shooters during the incident at Arlene Drive and Queens Avenue, according to court documents.
Smith is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon on a charge of having weapons under disability for a prior drug conviction, a third-degree felony.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office planned to meet today to consider charges against King. The homicide investigation is ongoing, according to the prosecutor’s office.
UPDATE @ 4:41 p.m. (Jan. 19)
Although Dayton police have named Shawn Smith as a suspect in the shooting death of 13-month-old Elijah Johnson, The only charge against him for now is having weapons under disability, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
UPDATE @ 10:16 a.m. (Jan. 19)
Dayton police confirm Shawn Smith is charged with murder in the shooting death of 13-month-old Elijah Johnson. Smith is expected to be arraigned this afternoon.
UPDATE @ 4:33 p.m. (Jan. 18)
Dayton police on Monday confirmed the man booked into jail on a murder charge, Shawn Smith, was the man apprehended following a SWAT standoff.
Lt. Mark Ponichtera said Smith was detained for questioning in a homicide investigation, but declined to share what homicide he’s being questioned in connection to.
UPDATE @ 6:45 a.m. (Jan. 18)
Online jail records show 25-year-old Shawn Smith was booked in the Montgomery County Jail on the charge of murder.
We’re working to confirm that Smith was taken into custody following this SWAT standoff on Bunche Drive.
UPDATE @ 1:50 a.m. (Jan. 18)
Dayton police said two people have been detained for questioning in a homicide investigation following a three-hour SWAT standoff.
Dayton Police Lt. Mark Ponichtera said officers approached a house in the 1000 block of Bunche Drive around 9:40 p.m. Sunday looking for a suspect wanted in a homicide.
When officers made contact with the people inside they did not follow commands to come out, prompting a call-out of Dayton SWAT and hostage negotiation. After a three hour standoff, SWAT breached the front door using an armored vehicle.
Ponichtera said the man they were looking for in the homicide investigation and a woman came outside and were arrested. Officers don’t believe the woman was being held against her will but she was just reluctant to comply with police orders.
Both the suspect and the woman are in custody and are being questioned in the active homicide investigation.
Ponichtera said no shots were fired but a distraction device was used.
A few neighboring houses were evacuated by officers for safety reasons, but have since been allowed to return.
Ponichtera said due to the cold weather officers took several precautions including working in rotations to stay warm. Some neighbors in the area even offered their homes as places for officers to stay warm.
Police said the search warrant is still ongoing and it’s not known what has been recovered inside the house.
Police were also not able to identify the two arrested due to the nature of the ongoing investigation.
UPDATE @ 1:05 a.m. (Jan. 18)
Police said a SWAT call-out has ended with a suspect of a murder investigation in custody.
Officers were not able to give further information from the scene but are expected to release additional details later this morning.
All neighbors who were evacuated have been allowed back into their homes.
UPDATE @ 11:30 p.m. (Jan. 17)
We’re hearing reports that police have a signed search warrant for the house surrounded.
Police have been blocking the area surrounding Ethel Avenue and Weaver Street since around 10 p.m. tonight.
A suspect is barricaded inside a house with weapons, and at least a couple neighboring homes are evacuated.
News Center 7’s Andy Sedlak reported from the scene for tonight’s news. He asked police how many officers were on scene, to which the officer replied: “All of them.”
The police response includes a special weapons and tactics team and SWAT vehicles.
We are on scene and will continue to update this developing story.
UPDATE @ 10:45 p.m. (Jan. 17)
Police confirm two houses have been evacuated and a third house is surrounded.
FIRST REPORT
Police involved in a standoff tonight have called for a SWAT team.
Police are surrounding a house in the area of Ethel Avenue and Weaver Street.
Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center would not say what this incident is about. According to initial reports, police are staged in the area and may evacuate neighboring homes.
We are on the way and will update this information as we learn details.
