A 43-year-old grandmother from Ohio has pleaded guilty to felony assault after admitting to intentionally shooting her six-month-old granddaughter in the eye, authorities reported Tuesday.
Mia Desiree Harris entered the plea in Butler County court, according to local media. Two additional assault charges related to other family members were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
The incident occurred on December 9, 2022, in Liberty Township, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati. Police responded to a 911 call around 1:50 a.m. reporting that an infant had been shot.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones told local media that Harris fired multiple shots through a wooden door to enter the room where her granddaughter was sleeping. After breaking in, Harris allegedly shot the child’s mother, grazing her skull, before shooting the infant.
The child was taken to a hospital in critical condition but survived and is recovering, local reports state.
During a preliminary hearing in 2023, Detective Daniel Turner testified that after shooting the child, Harris lifted the infant off the bed and smiled as she handed the baby to its wounded mother.
When questioned about her motives, Harris reportedly told deputies, “That was not my grandbaby. Sorry, not sorry,” according to local media reports. She claimed her family was “trying to take all of her money and then leave.”
Sheriff Jones condemned the act, stating, “This is one of the most disgusting, vile criminal acts I’ve ever seen, shooting a 6-month-old baby. What makes it even worse is this is the baby’s grandmother.”
Harris is being held on a $1.5 million bond. In Ohio, first-degree felony assault carries a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
