Outside 421 East 13th Street, teddy bears, flowers and balloons now sit in memory of three young lives.
Nineteen-year-old Noelle Washington, her ninth-month old baby, Anthony Jones, and her best friend's three-year-old daughter, Sharailyn Wright, were all shot to death in an unthinkable act of violence just after midnight Tuesday.
Belinda Lattimore heard the shots.
"I heard, it sounded like firecrackers: pow, pow pow," said Lattimore.
"Noelle never did anything to anybody" said Alice Washington, Noelle's grandmother. "She's as sweet as she can be. She's always wanted a son. She had one, we call him ‘Doodles.’"
Family and friends say faith is helping them through.
"God gives glory from all things and yesterday was her last day on this earth. But, God has her now, so were good with that, we just wish she was still here," said Washington.
The family is asking why she isn't still here, why police couldn't catch-up with the alleged suspect, 19-year-old Mark Pickens before today.
Pickens has a violent history.
It was back in March when he allegedly shot 20-year-old Anthony Jones at 900 West Ninth Street.
According to police reports, Jones was "shot numerous times, causing serious physical injury".
Jones is the father of the nine-month old baby killed overnight.
Relatives say Jones did not cooperate with police, allowing Pickens to remain a free man.
On Sunday Noelle Washington told family members Pickens beat and raped her.
She went to the hospital and filed a police report.
But officers were not able to catch up with Pickens until Tuesday, not until several hours after Washington had been killed.Mark Pickens charged with an earlier shooting, as police question him on triple murder.
"He was a person of interest from the triple homicide" said Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Mark Briede.
"Mark Pickens was picked up at his residence at 400 W. 9th street. He was taken to CIS where he was interviewed throughout the day. At this point, he has been charged with a felonious assault, and weapons under disability charge from a March 27 felonious assault,” said Lt. Briede.
Police are still calling Pickens a "person of interest" in the triple homicide. He has not been charged with those murders.
Pickens is at the Hamilton County Justice Center, being held on charges from the earlier shooting incident.
