On October 12, 2022, a 36 year old white man, Krieg A. Butler Sr, killed a 13 year old Black boy, Sinzae Reed, in Columbus, OH.
On October 13, 2022, Krieg was arrested and charged with murder and put in jail under a $1 million bond. Nearly a week later, on October 19, 2022, Butler was released and charges were DISMISSED after claiming he acted in “self-defense.”
The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office — without any investigation and knowing Krieg was convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge — did not mention Sinzae had any weapon nor identified Sinzae as the aggressor. They did, however, have evidence and prior convictions that amounted to holding Krieg without bond while a thorough investigation was conducted.
The eye witnesses place Krieg as the lone aggressor and killer.
#SinzaeReed, his family, and community deserve justice. While the facts do not necessarily point to this being a hate crime, we have seen this narrative play out where a white man or group of white men kill(s) a Black boy for merely existing. (See #TrayvonMartin walking home from a store run) (See also #AhmaudArbery jogging in his neighborhood). This was a modern day lynching.
Sinzae should have been able walk his neighborhood like any other child without the fear or threat of being gunned down in the middle of the street. And no person should be able to walk away and claim self-defense when witnesses say otherwise.
Share this story and DEMAND Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office to recharge Krieg A. Butler Sr with murder and conduct a full investigation into the killing of Sinzae Reed. We’ll continue to monitor this story.
Follow @CiriloManego3 and @BlackWithNoChaser across all social media platforms for updates on this story and other news.
