An 11-year-old girl and her mother were found dead inside their home Wednesday.
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — Children, parents and teachers gathered outside a Chatsworth Way home Thursday night after an 11-year-old girl and her mother were found shot and stabbed to death in a case police describe as domestic violence.
The victims were identified as 33-year-old Shalimar Green and her daughter, Aliv’eyah Chandler. Police arrested Shalimar Green’s husband, 35-year-old Derrick Green, and charged him with murder after investigators said relatives requested a welfare check at the home Wednesday evening.
Columbus police said officers were sent to the home around 7 p.m. Wednesday. A relative found the mother and child dead before officers arrived, and medics later pronounced both victims dead. Court records said the couple was ending their marriage. Police said Green left the home before officers arrived, and SWAT officers later took him into custody. Investigators said they found bullet cartridges, a bloody knife and blood-soaked clothing at the scene. Police have not released a motive beyond describing the case as tied to an ongoing domestic dispute.
The deaths shook the neighborhood near Reynoldsburg, where children and classmates helped build a memorial Thursday afternoon. Nearly 100 people attended a candlelit vigil and balloon release. Teachers from Aliv’eyah’s elementary and middle schools stood with students only days into summer break. Aliv’eyah had just completed sixth grade in the Groveport Madison Local School District. Her friend Isaiah Harris said she was smart, kind and funny. “No kid should be dying at 11,” Harris said. “They should have their life.”
The case also brought renewed focus to Derrick Green’s past court record. In 2023, he was charged in Whitehall with strangulation and domestic violence involving Shalimar Chandler Green. Court filings said he slapped and strangled her. A grand jury later did not return an indictment. In 2021, Green faced a murder case after investigators said he shot Kenneth R. Palmer during an argument on Kimberly Parkway North. Palmer later died, but that case also ended after a grand jury declined to indict.
Green made his first court appearance Friday, and bond was set at $5 million. Prosecutors and detectives are expected to continue reviewing physical evidence from the home, including the weapon and cartridge evidence described in court documents. The charges are accusations, and the case remains active in Franklin County Municipal Court. Police have not said whether additional charges could be filed.
Groveport Madison Local Schools said social workers were working with the surviving family and were available for students. Neighbors said many children in the area knew Aliv’eyah and were trying to understand the loss. One parent at the vigil said the scene showed how young people were being forced to face an adult tragedy. The sidewalk memorial remained covered with candles, drawings and notes as families stood outside the home.
As of Friday, Derrick Green remained jailed on a $5 million bond while Columbus police continued investigating the killings of Shalimar Green and Aliv’eyah Chandler.
Author note: Last updated May 29, 2026.