An arrest has been made in the death of the 4-year-old namesake of a federal investigation dubbed “Operation Legend,” as reported by Breitbart.
Both President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barr hailed the development in an ongoing case stemming from the senseless murder of LeGend Taliferro in June.
“A model for joint efforts”
A suspect identified as 22-year-old Ryson Ellis was reportedly arrested and is expected to face criminal charges including second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.
He is accused of fatally shooting the young victim when he fired into a Kansas City apartment building where the boy was sleeping.
In honor of Taliferro, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a federal initiative to help local and state authorities identify and apprehend violent criminals.
Barr called the operation “a model for joint efforts to solve crimes and reduce violence in other cities” even as homicide rates increase across a number of U.S. cities.
“Today’s arrest of LeGend Taliferro’s suspected murderer marks a significant step forward in his case and illustrates the potential of Operation Legend more broadly,” the attorney general said in his statement.
“Really good news”
In his own statement on the matter, Trump called the arrest “really good news” and held up a photo of the young boy.
“As you know, we named Operation Legend after LeGend Taliferro, where we’re in the process of helping out cities throughout our country that have difficulty with certain types of crime,” the president said.
Not everyone has been a fan of the operation, however, with some Democratic critics accusing Barr of overstepping authority by sending federal agents to cities including Portland, Oregon, in response to civil disruption.
Nevertheless, Trump has indicated that he would consider expanding the federal action to cities like Chicago, Illinois, where gun violence has spiked in recent months — even claiming the lives of children in some cases.
While Taliferro’s mother said she is “grateful that we are in the steps to justice,” she is still left with the unimaginable pain of losing her young son in such a violent way. Cases like this only serve to prove the widespread appeal of the Trump administration’s tough approach to law enforcement.
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