Centerville grad fatally shot in Dayton, in back seat with 4-year-old daughter

Lyle’s boyfriend was giving a ride to an employee of a business near the Dayton International Airport with his girlfriend and their young daughter in the back seat. He had been driving on southbound Interstate 75 before taking the off-ramp to U.S. 35 West sometime around 7:10 a.m., said Dayton police Maj. Brian Johns during a Tuesday afternoon media briefing.

“As he took the off-ramp he heard what he thought to be a pop, which we know now was one gunshot being fired at the motor vehicle,” Johns said. “After the gunshot went off he began to hear his girlfriend screaming that she had been shot.”

Lyle was sitting behind the driver’s seat. She died in the back seat with her daughter in the back with her, Johns said.

After she was shot, her boyfriend immediately drove to Miami Valley Hospital, where Lyle was pronounced deceased.

“He has no idea why this happened. He reported no instances of road rage,” Johns said. “We don’t know why the car was shot.”

The driver of the vehicle recalled seeing a blue Chevrolet and a white vehicle behind him that exited onto Germantown Avenue as he continued on the highway, the major said.

Investigators on Saturday morning shut down the off-ramp to search for evidence, and were able to find one shell casing on the right berm that Johns said they believe was used in the homicide.

“One round was fired, struck our victim’s vehicle in the back trunk. The round penetrated to the back seat where it struck our victim and killed her,” he said.

There was a second homicide last weekend on Sunday, during a drive-by shooting around 4:30 p.m. in the 2900 block of Louella Avenue.

Five teens or young adults wearing masks were riding in a stolen white 2015 BMW when they drove up to a group of people and asked about buying marijuana.

“They came around the block again, came back around the block again and opened fire on the group of people outside,” he said.

So far this year, there have been 32 homicides, already exceeding the annual totals for the past five years.