Tevin Biles-Thomas, the brother of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges on Friday morning in a Cleveland courtroom according to Entertainment Tonight. Biles-Thomas entered the plea with his attorney via video chat with bond set at $1,000,000. He has been charged with six counts of murder, three counts of voluntary manslaughter, five counts of felonious assault, and one count of perjury. Biles-Thomas is currently being held at the Liberty County jail in Georgia and his pre-trial date is on Sept. 18.
The shooting occurred at an AirBnB rental located in Cleveland’s Brooklyn Centre neighborhood on New Year’s Eve. Police said a fight broke out and that’s when Biles-Thomas allegedly open fire. Devaughn Gibson, 23, DelVaunte Johnson, 19, and Toshon Banks, 21 were the three who were shot and killed.
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“The relentless persistence of Cleveland Police Homicide detectives helped secure an indictment in this case,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said. “It is through their hard work that we can begin to seek justice for these victims.”
“The investigators within the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit remained committed to securing an arrest in this tragic case,” Cleveland police Chief Calvin D. Williams said in a statement via Fox News. “We appreciate our partnership with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and are confident that their efforts will bring justice for the families affected by this terrible incident.”
Simone Biles recently reacted to the news by posting a statement on Twitter.
“My heart aches for everyone involved,” Biles began the post. “Especially for the victims and their families. There is nothing I can say that will heal anyone’s pain, but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. I ask everyone respect my family’s privacy as we deal with your pain. XO.”
Back in 2016, Biles took home multiple gold medals during the Olympics, winning individual all-around, team all-around, vault, and floor. This past weekend Biles was given the U.S. all-around title for her performance. This is the sixth time she’s been given the award, which also makes history.
Biles is the first woman in nearly 70 years to win the all-around title six times. Earlier this year, Biles was nominated for an ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete but she lost to soccer star Alex Morgan.
