Antawan Benson, 24, has been sentenced to 67 years in prison in Montgomery County, Ohio, for his role in a retaliatory shooting that killed 12-year-old Isabella “Bella” Carlos while she slept.
According to prosecutors, on Aug. 22, 2024, Benson and his brother, Javen Conner, confronted a woman in Trotwood about a social media post involving their cousin. Hours later, around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 23, they opened fire with an AK-47 and an AR-15 on three homes in Dayton. Isabella, a 7th grader, was asleep in one of the houses and was fatally shot; she was found half on and half off her bed, leading the judge to note she likely suffered in her final moments.
Benson and Conner were convicted in separate trials of murder, discharging a firearm into a habitation, felonious assault, and aggravated menacing. Judge Gerald Parker condemned not only the killing but also their decision to post photos of empty weapon magazines on Facebook afterward, calling it “false bravado” and saying, “Y’all soft, all of y’all are weak.”
At sentencing, Isabella’s aunt described the lasting impact on the family, noting all the milestones Bella will never reach. Benson received 67 years; Conner is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8.
