Teens’ Facebook spat led to Dayton girl’s fatal shooting, report says

Dylan Angel appears via video conference before Dayton Municipal Court Judge Mia Wortham Spells on July 7, 2017. Angel, charged with murder in the slaying of 14-year-old Mackenna Kronenberger, had bond set at $1 million. JEREMY P. KELLEY/STAFF

Dylan Angel appears via video conference before Dayton Municipal Court Judge Mia Wortham Spells on July 7, 2017. Angel, charged with murder in the slaying of 14-year-old Mackenna Kronenberger, had bond set at $1 million. JEREMY P. KELLEY/STAFF

A Facebook argument between two 18-year-olds led to the fight and shooting that killed 14-year-old innocent bystander Mackenna Kronenberger, according to an affidavit filed by Dayton Police.

Dylan Angel and Jason Tidwell, both of whom face murder and other charges, appeared separately via video conference Thursday in Dayton Municipal Court. Judge Mia Wortham Spells set bond at $1 million for each and scheduled preliminary hearings in the case for July 14.

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Mackenna, who is Tidwell’s sister, had just finished her freshman year at Carroll High School. She was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Family members who were in the courtroom Friday declined comment.

Tidwell and Angel had been friends, as their social media accounts were filled with pictures of the pair together, sometimes holding guns. But they had a falling out.

According to an affidavit filed by Dayton Police Det. Thomas Cope, Tidwell and Angel got into an argument via Facebook messenger on the night of the shooting.

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“During the argument, they agreed to fist fight at Tidwell’s residence (on Morse Ave. in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood),” the statement reads. “While en route to the fist fight, Angel told Tidwell that if he comes to the house that he will ‘shoot through the whole house.’ ”

After Angel arrived, the two fought outside in front of the house that Tidwell and Mackenna shared with parents, and “by most accounts, Tidwell lost,” the statement reads.

“(Tidwell) retreated to his house to retrieve a gun. He emerged from the home with a Glock 9mm pistol and fired it at Dylan from his own driveway. Dylan, who was near his car parked across the street and to the west of the house, then retrieves an unknown make 9mm handgun and fires at the house and at Tidwell,” the statement reads.

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The statement said most of those shots penetrated Tidwell’s house, with one of them striking and killing Mackenna, who was in her bedroom at the time. Tidwell and several people inside the house identified Angel, according to police.

Angel faces charges of murder, discharge of a firearm into a habitation, discharge of a firearm over a roadway and tampering with evidence.

Tidwell is charged with murder, felonious assault, discharge of a firearm over a roadway, tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability. He has a previous juvenile conviction for burglary, and a June 2017 conviction for having weapons under disability.

Dayton Police Lt. Gregg Gaby said Friday it was uncertain whether anyone else would be charged in the case, adding it was still possible given the number of people who were present at the fight.

He also said police had not yet located two witnesses they are looking for — Michael Jergens and Victor Hernandez.

“We’ve been reaching out all day,” Gaby said. “We hope people will say, ‘Hey, this was a 14-year-old girl,’ and will cooperate — not do the usual thing of hiding someone they know.”

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