Police said the child was found with multiple gunshot wounds in Latonia.
COVINGTON, Ky. — Police arrested a 19-year-old man early Monday and charged him with attempted murder after a 12-year-old boy was shot multiple times on a residential street, authorities said. The boy was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and remained in critical condition, police said.
The arrest came hours after officers were called to the Latonia neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. Investigators have not said what led to the shooting or whether anyone else may face charges. The suspect, Jayden Marsh, was booked into the Kenton County Detention Center and held on a $1 million bond, police said.
Officers were dispatched about 4:49 p.m. Sunday to the 4300 block of McKee Street after a report of gunfire, Covington police said. When they arrived, they found a 12-year-old boy suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Capt. Justin Bradbury said. Emergency crews rushed the child to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police later described the boy as being in critical condition. The child was identified by his mother as Noah. Bradbury said Marsh was not in custody during the first hours of the investigation, and detectives worked overnight while officers canvassed the neighborhood and tracked down leads from residents and surveillance cameras.
Covington police said Marsh was taken into custody around 3 a.m. Monday. Investigators have not released a motive or detailed what evidence led to the arrest, but Bradbury said Marsh faces an attempted murder charge that can carry up to 20 years in prison. Jail records listed Marsh as being held at the Kenton County Detention Center on a $1 million bond. Police did not say whether a weapon was recovered or whether Marsh has an attorney who could comment on the allegations. Investigators asked residents in the area to review doorbell and home security footage from Sunday afternoon as they work to piece together a timeline of who was on McKee Street in the minutes leading up to the shooting.
Noah’s mother, Andrea Hall, said the shooting did not surprise her, describing a family situation she said has been strained for years. Hall said she lost custody of her son in 2019 while she struggled with drug addiction. Hall said she has been sober for about eight years and has been trying to regain custody. She said she worries Noah has been spending time in the streets and around guns, and she described him as being out of school and lacking supervision. “I don’t know what to do,” Hall said in an interview. “I’m hurt. I’m so hurt.”
Hall said she believes the shooting was retaliation connected to a separate case referenced in a December 2025 police complaint. That complaint accused 19-year-old Geomontray Drake of firing into a home on Decoursey Avenue, and it stated Marsh was the victim of that earlier shooting, Hall said. The complaint also noted a juvenile witness was present, and Hall said that juvenile was Noah. Police have not confirmed any connection between the two cases, and investigators have not said whether Drake is a suspect in the McKee Street shooting. Hall said anger is understandable when someone is hurt, but she said she cannot accept a child being shot. “I would be furious, I’d be angry, but I would not shoot a 12-year-old,” she said.
Marsh’s case is expected to move through Kenton County’s court process, with prosecutors able to seek an indictment and a judge able to review bond conditions as the investigation continues. Police have not announced a court date in public statements, and they have not said whether additional charges could be filed. Detectives also continued to ask for tips from the public, saying information from witnesses and video footage could help confirm the sequence of events on McKee Street and identify anyone who may have been with the suspect before or after the shooting. Covington police said they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public, while still urging residents to share information that could help the case.
Outside the investigation, Hall said she is focused on her son’s recovery and on what she described as a fight to bring stability back to his life. She said people have labeled Noah in harsh ways and that she wants him seen as a child who needs guidance. Neighbors in the area described a heavy police presence Sunday night as officers blocked off parts of the street and went door to door. Some residents said they were shaken by the shooting occurring in daylight on a neighborhood block where children play and families gather, while others said they hope the arrest will bring quick answers about what sparked the violence.
As of Monday, police said Noah remained in critical condition and Marsh remained in jail on a $1 million bond. Detectives asked anyone with information about the McKee Street shooting to contact Covington police or Crime Stoppers as the case moves toward its next court steps.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 24, 2026.