Mikalah Franklin was a 14-year-old Black girl from Austin who was fatally shot in the head in the early morning of June 6, 2023, at the Bridge at Harris Ridge Apartments near Dessau Elementary School. Multiple 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. reported gunfire; officers found Mikalah with critical head injuries and she was taken to Dell Children’s Medical Center, where she later died. Family describe her as loving, funny, goofy and protective of her siblings; she was reportedly shielding her five-year-old brother when a black car pulled into the complex and shots were fired. Her mother had recently tried to get out of the lease because the family felt unsafe in the complex.

Austin police investigated and identified a 17-year-old male, Micah Marshall, as the prime suspect; he was arrested on August 1, 2023, and charged with first-degree murder. Charges against him were dismissed in March 2024 and he was released. The family says the case still feels unresolved and continues to press for action.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or about other possible suspects, please share it with investigators.