Who was Nyaira Givens? Cincinnati girl, 13, fatally stabbed by friend, 13, a day before Ma'Khia Bryant's death
CINCINNATI, OHIO: Just one day before 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant was shot dead in Columbus, Ohio, a 13-year-old girl reportedly stabbed another 13-year-old to death in Cincinnati.
In some shocking news, Nyaira Givens, 13, was stabbed in the neck on Monday, April 19, 2021, in Cincinnati's Winton Hills neighborhood by another 13-year-old girl, who appeared in court for the first time on April 21, 2021. But unlike the Ma'Khia Bryant incident, no police officers were available for help on the scene to stop Givens from being stabbed or bleeding to death in the arms of her father.
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The proceedings in court were, according to the latest reports, virtual and quick.
According to the latest local reports, her public defender, Kelly Rice-Hunt, said, "Your honor, I know these are very serious, as serious they get, charges, however, these are allegations at this point. We're asking if the court would consider releasing her on EMU back to her mother. She's only 13. She goes to Aiken. She has absolutely no record, she's an A student."
"The nature of the offense itself poses an inherent danger to the community as seen manifestly, we have a deceased victim in this case. Beyond that, we don't believe the home is a suitable place to release her on EMU. My understanding from examining the record is her mother is not the legal custodian of this child," said prosecutor Joseph Prem. Local reports say that the magistrate ordered the teen held until her next court date and is scheduled to appear in court again on May 3, 2021.
Who was Nyaira Givens?
Maurice Jackson, Givens's dad said his daughter was the second oldest of seven children. He recalled how she loved being a freshman at Aiken High School and went to school with the girl who stabbed her.
He said they were "on and off friends," but that his daughter was being bullied. Ashley Givens, her mother, remembers her daughter as an avid singer, dancer and a TikTok artist. Givens' father said she was smart, mature and wanted to be a hairstylist. He said she wanted to bring beauty to the world. Family described Givens as an outgoing girl who loved to draw, do hair and lit up any room she walked into.
What happened that day?
Family members and witnesses said that on Monday, April 19 night, Givens reportedly got into a fight near where her family lived. During the fight, police say she was stabbed with a pocket knife. Her father reportedly said that the incident was the end result of bullying.
Documents obtained by the Cincinnati Enquirer said, "During a verbal dispute, (the teen) pulled out a pocket knife and cut the victim on the right side of her neck causing her death." Although she was immediately rushed to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Givens reportedly succumbed to her injuries.
Devastated family
Her heartbroken father, Maurice Jackson, said that he held his daughter as she died. "I held her," Jackson said. "I watched her as she died. I watched her, you know? All I could do was just hold her, hold her. I tried. I tried to stop the bleeding."
"Just tried my best to protect her and be the father I could be, you know?" he added. "I guess I didn't pay attention to all the other stuff that was going on around her. She was a great daughter. A great friend. All of the above. Until the end."
Jackson concluded, "The pain I'm feeling right now, it's just, I can't explain it. It's very unexplainable. She should be burying me. I shouldn't be burying her." Ashley said her daughter had experienced bullying from the girl before the stabbing. "At a point in time, I can honestly say that they were friends,” she explained. "After they had their differences, my daughter pretty much stayed to herself... and ever since then, that’s when the bullying and the rumors and everything started with her."
In a statement, Cincinnati Public Schools said, "We are devastated by this tragedy. Our mental health support teams are actively supporting our school community at this time. We also have additional crisis teams in place to support our students and staff, if needed."