Nagomba White Jr. and Amarion Cutler are accused of killing a boy
Amarion Cutler (left) and Nagomba White Jr. (center) are accused of killing Josiah Small, 12. According to police, Josiah and three other boys were walking in an alley in South Bend, Indiana, when Josiah and the suspects got into a confrontation. The boys walked away, but Cutler and White turned their car around, got out and started shooting, police said. White was arrested, but Cutler remains outstanding. (Josiah: Obituary; Mugshots: South Bend Police)
One man is behind bars and another remains at large after they allegedly “chased” four boys in a South Bend, Indiana, alley and started shooting, killing a 12-year-old and wounding a 14-year-old.
St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter said: a press conference on Monday The incident occurred around 9pm on October 27 when three 12-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy were walking through an alley. The boys separated and a short time later two of them got into a “brief confrontation” with two men sitting in a car. The boys walked away.
“Two people then turned their car around and gave chase,” Cotter said. “Both individuals got out and fired their firearms at these four boys. Even though they had broken up, they were reasonably close.”
South Bend Police received a ShotSpotter notification of shots fired in the area and responded. Officers found two of the boys shot. One, later identified as 12-year-old Josiah Small, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other, 14, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and survived.
Investigators located video of the incident that showed that after interacting with the boys, the suspects made a U-turn and sped toward the boys. They got out of the car and one chased Josiah and the boy he was with, and the other suspect chased the other two boys who were nearby, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime . The video showed muzzle flashes from the weapons.
Investigators identified the two suspects as 21-year-old Nagomba White Jr. and 18-year-old Amarion Cutler. White is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and attempted assault with a deadly weapon. Cutler is charged with accessory after the fact to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of attempted murder, attempted assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.
Authorities, including the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Task Force, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and the South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit, arrested White in Indianapolis on Thursday. Cutler has not yet been arrested. He is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call Michiana Crime Stoppers and leave an anonymous tip at 574-288-STOP.
Cotter declined to describe the “brief confrontation” between the suspects and victims. He said the murder was a sad day for the community.
“Any murder is senseless to those of us who don’t,” Cotter said. “But my goodness, that just breaks your heart.”
According to his obituary, Josiah played football for Dickinson Middle School and had celebrated his 12th birthday just seven days before his death.
“He enjoyed watching anime and YouTube,” the obituary reads. “He also loved wrestling and spent endless hours enjoying the company of his little sister, whom he truly adored.”
His mother, Erika Small, told the South Bend Tribune that she moved her family to a safer area earlier this year because she feared her son was “in the wrong place at the wrong time and something would happen to him.” She said the allegations didn’t make her feel better, “but it’s reassuring.” [police] that they do their job and that they care.”
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