CINCINNATI — Family members of Da'Myiah Barton-Pickens remembered the 9-year-old Tuesday as the man who shot and killed her was sentenced to prison.
"(She) was sassy and witty, smart beyond her years, and so full of love. It poured out of her in every hug," said Kayla Matthews, the 9-year-old's godmother and cousin.
Barton-Pickens was shot and killed in July 2023 when Qasseem Dixon fired more than two dozen bullets into a Silverton home.
On Tuesday, Dixon pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. He accepted a plea deal from the prosecution and will spend 30 to 35 years behind bars.
During the sentencing, Barton-Pickens' grandmother confronted Dixon about the shooting at her home.
Watch the moments Dixon is confronted by family members about the shooting:
"An innocent 9-year-old girl is gone because of the decision you chose to make when you chose to come to my house on July the 10th, in the middle of a freaking night and shot my house up 32 freaking times, I'm not okay with that," said Leticia Copeland, the victim's grandmother.
Copeland described the scarring moments when she held her granddaughter’s unconscious body in her arms while waiting for paramedics.
“I will have to replay it in my head over and over again,” Copeland said.
Dixon also addressed the family in court, claiming the shooting wasn't intentional.
"What happened to your daughter, it wasn't intentional. That's not who I was coming for," Dixon said. "I just want to say that I'm sorry for what did happen to y'all from me, what ya'll are going through, but at the same time, like it never would have happened if that didn't happen."
Dixon did not address the incident he alluded to before the shooting occurred.
Barton-Pickens' mother, Danieka Pickens, said Tuesday's sentencing will never erase the pain of losing her daughter.
"I have my two little ones... I have to answer to," Pickens said through tears. "It's more of a feeling than for me to even say anything by mouth."
Watch the family's previous calls for justice:
Family members dressed in pink, Barton-Pickens' favorite color, filled the courtroom Tuesday. They said despite Dixon’s sentence to decades behind bars, their pain will never be erased.
"It's no type of weight lifted off my shoulder from this because she's not coming back," Pickens said.
The family is now focusing on honoring Barton-Pickens, who will be "Forever 9," and hoping to prevent similar tragedies.
"We know that we still don't have her, but as now, hopefully … we have saved the life of another child, that they will open their eyes to what's really going on," said Kelly Pickens, the 9-year-old's grandmother.
Last year, court records show Demario Williams pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, carrying concealed weapons, vehicular assault and failure to stop after a crash in connection to the shooting. He was sentenced to 3 1/2 years behind bars.
Ryan Brown, the third defendant in the case, is set to go to trial in July.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich released the following statement on X:
“A 9-year-old girl’s life was tragically cut short because someone chose to resolve a conflict with gun violence. It doesn’t work that way. I hope today’s 30- to 35.5-year prison sentence for Qasseem Dixon brings her family some measure of peace.”
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