CINCINNATI — Emotions were raw inside the Hamilton County Courthouse Friday during the sentencing of a man who killed two separate people in the span of six days.
Police arrested Malik Blanchard June 9 for shooting and killing 22-year-old Treasure Thomas at an apartment building in the 200 block of Westwood Northern Boulevard. A 21-year-old man was also injured in the shooting.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich's office said Blanchard shot at a 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy, hitting and killing the 17-year-old, outside a home in Westwood on June 3.
The 17-year-old was later identified as Jayshawn Cornelius, a student at Hughes STEM High School.
Friday, Judge Christopher Wagner sentenced Blanchard to 47 years to life in prison.
WATCH: Emotions spill over inside the courtroom during Blanchard's sentencing
During the sentencing, families of both victims spoke in court about their heartbreak over the violence.
“You destroyed two families," Anthony Thomas, a family member of Treasure Thomas, said.
Cornelius' mother also spoke in court, directing her comments to Blanchard.
“You killed my son for no reason," she said.
One by one, the relatives of the victims spoke about the difficulty of understanding what happened.
“You took two beautiful souls from us," Anthony Thomas said. "Both of those souls had brothers and sisters that loved them immensely."
Blanchard initially apologized in court to the families, but after relatives spoke, his tone was different.
“There’s a reason why my people’s not here, I told them not to come, because these m***********s," Blanchard said.
Blanchard's words were directed toward the judge in reference to the family members in the courtroom. He was cut off by family members who began to yell and curse back at him. One man was removed from the courtroom during the interaction.
Once things had settled down, the prosecuting attorney spoke about Blanchard.
“This man should never draw a free breath again," the prosecuting attorney said. "He killed an innocent child and a woman in an apartment in her bed.”
Judge Wagner called Blanchard's actions "an unwarranted example of reckless violence".
“I hope the family can achieve some sort of justice here today," Wagner said. "Remember their loved ones and, frankly, not remember this day. It’s not worth remembering.”
