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Arrest made in murder of 6-year-old Cleveland girl

Officials say he was found hiding in an attic in Tennessee.

CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, officials announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a 6-year-old Cleveland girl last month.

The case involves young Lyric Lawson, who was shot and killed back on Oct. 5 while sleeping inside her home on East 171st Street. Authorities say several bullets were fired at the home and one hit Lyric in the head, and she later died at the hospital.

The suspect has been identified as 21-year-old Raysean Howard, of Euclid. Court records show he has been charged with aggravated murder, which means he could potentially face the death penalty if convicted.

Credit: Cleveland Division of Police

Police say Howard was taken into custody Wednesday morning around 7:30 a.m. while hiding in an attic in Tennessee. The FBI added it used "technological tools" to identify him.

Lyric was a student at Hannah-Gibbons in the Nottingham neighborhood. There had been no leads in the immediate aftermath, and her family publicly pleaded with the suspects to turn themselves in.

"Whatever situation it was, it had nothing to do with that six-year-old child," Lyric's Aunt Deidre Selmon told NEWSTALK 1490 WERE back in October.

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Lyric's death remains under investigation, and police believe other people were "directly involved."

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