LYNCHBURG, Va. – Friday marks one week since 12-year-old Malayshia Solomon was shot and killed inside her Lynchburg home.
Still, no one is being held responsible for her death.
During an interview with Lynchburg Police, Malayshia’s mother told them her boyfriend is the one who shot her daughter inside of her home, according to search warrants.
The search warrant reveals when police interviewed the boyfriend, he told them the gun “had just gone off.”
10 News has chosen not to report Malayshia’s mother’s name or her boyfriend since they are not facing any charges at this time.
University of Richmond Law Professor Julie McConnell says although charges haven’t been filed yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not coming.
“It might be that there is a theory that there is an accident and they aren’t sure that they can charge anyone yet. So that may be why. But it’s actually a good thing to not rush to charge. You want to do it right. You want to investigate, you want to interview everyone and that may just be taking some time,” she said.
A search warrant for the home on Monroe Street shows just an hour before Malayshia was shot, her mother posted a video on Instagram with her and two boys singing and dancing while holding guns.
McConnell says even more charged could be pending because of this evidence.
“Well there is actually a statute that addresses recklessly handling a firearm. And so she may be charged with that. If they feel like she put them in danger,” she said.
At this time, 10 News does not know if there were other children in the home at the time of the shooting.
But if there were, McConnell says that could be another layer in this ongoing investigation.
“Certainly I would expect DSS to be investigating the circumstances of the home to determine if it’s safe for the children to be there,” said McConnell.
Another reason McConnell believes investigators could be holding out on charging anyone is to allow time for the family to grieve.
“This family has suffered a great tragedy. They’ve lost a 12 year old so the detectives may be having to work around the funeral and anything like that. So I don’t think we should necessarily read into anything that the charges haven’t been filed yet,” said McConnell.
10 News reached out to both Lynchburg Police and Lynchburg’s Commonwealth’s Attorney on Friday to check if there are any new developments in this case.
We were told they have nothing new to share at this time.
According to One Community One Voice, who previously held a candlelight vigil for Malayshia, services for her are as follows:
- Family Night: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, March, 5, 2023 at Tharp Funeral Home
- Celebration of Life: 1 p.m., Monday, March 6, 2023 at The Ramp Church International