The brother of U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles was arrested and charged with murder as the accused shooter who killed three people at a New Year’s Eve party in Cleveland, law enforcement agencies said on Friday.
Tevin Biles-Thomas, 24, of Cleveland, was being held at the Liberty County Jail in Hinesville, Georgia on six counts of murder, three of voluntary manslaughter, five of felonious assault and a single count of perjury, according to a joint statement from the Cleveland Division of Police and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
His arraignment at Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County Justice Center, where a grand jury indicted him on the criminal charges, was set for Sept. 13.
Biles-Thomas was part of an “uninvited group” that entered the New Year’s Eve house party, leading to an altercation with guests and shots fired, prosecutors said.
Two men died at the scene: Delvante Johnson, 19, and Toshaun Banks, 21. A third victim – Devaughn Gibson, 23 – was pronounced dead at a hospital.
“Cleveland Police’s Homicide Unit conducted an investigation and identified Tevin Biles-Thomas as a shooter in the incident,” the joint statement said.
Biles-Thomas was taken into custody on Thursday at Fort Stewart, Georgia, according to reports from cleveland.com.
Authorities did not give an explanation for the delay in making an arrest in the case.