Mia Harris, an Ohio grandmother who confessed to shooting her 5-month-old granddaughter in the face, was sentenced to nine to 12 years in prison on Tuesday (Oct. 29). According to WXIX, Harris pleaded guilty to felonious assault charges in the beginning of October.
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During the sentencing, Destiny Buffington—the victim’s mother and Harris’ daughter-in-law—confronted Harris about her actions.
“What you did will never go away,” Buffington said, per WLWT.
“She will never have a grandma again. You took that from her. You took me having a mother-in-law. You took everything away from me...I had to plead for my life, and then you shot my daughter in front of me. That will never go away, and I stand here today 10 times stronger than the woman I was a year ago.”
People Magazine reported that police were called to a home in Liberty Township due to “an infant being shot” on Dec. 9, 2023. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a baby suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
The child was transported to UC West Chester Hospital and was listed in critical condition. In a Butler County Sheriff press release obtained by the outlet, authorities claimed Harris fled but was ultimately arrested without incident.
“Mia Harris, the grandmother of the child, was identified by witnesses as the shooter,” the release explained. “During the incident Harris shot at several family members before intentionally shooting the child.”
Buffington told WLWT that her daughter spent over two months in the hospital and will have special needs and seizures for the rest of her life.
“And she does have vision problems now. Your eye vision is split, so she sees out of a certain angle of her eye,” she said.
Harris’ lawyer said mental health was a significant factor in the shooting. Prosecutors believed that substance abuse played a major role in Harris’ behavior.
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