What to Know
- Police have arrested two suspects in a shooting at a middle school student's home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
- Makael Bevins, 19, of Pottstown, and Ahnile Fountain, 19, also of Pottstown, were both taken into custody.
- Both teens are charged with attempted murder, firearms and related offenses. Bevins is also charged with gun violations.
Police arrested two suspects in a shooting at a middle school student's home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
Makael Bevins, 19, of Pottstown, and Ahnile Fountain, 19, also of Pottstown, were both arrested Tuesday after warrants were issued for them last Thursday. Both teens are charged with attempted murder, firearms and related offenses. Bevins is also charged with gun violations.
The arrests are in connection to a shooting at a house on the 500 block of West Street in Pottstown back on March 24. A 13-year-old girl had just finished dinner with her family when up to 15 bullets peppered their home.
Bullets careened through windows and walls sending the family running for cover. Luckily, no one was hit.
"As soon as my niece and kids came in here, bullets started flying," Marie Samba, the girl's mother, said.
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Samba believes her daughter was targeted and that she had been bullied by a group of girls at school since the family moved to the Montgomery County town from Philadelphia.
After the arrests Tuesday, Samba told NBC10 one of the suspects was related to one of her daughter's bullies, though investigators have not confirmed this.
"You think you were defending family members or whatever you were doing," Samba said. "Was it really worth your life?"
Samba said she and her family have lived in fear since the shooting and had moved out of their home after it occurred. She also removed her children from Pottstown schools as a precaution.
"Her 13 years of her life will always be remembered as this," Samba said. "That's the most heartbreaking part for me. This burden is on a 13-year-old heart."
A spokesman for the school district confirmed with NBC10 that Samba's daughter and the girls had been fighting for several months prior to the shooting. He also said there was reason to believe the shooting was related to bullying accusations from the girl.
Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting.
Samba's daughter will receive a national anti-bullying medal at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Saturday morning. Samba also told NBC10 she and her family are finally moving back into their home.
