Details reveal what led to fatal shooting of 12-year-old Victorville girl

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (KABC) -- New details emerged about the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old Victorville girl as the three suspects accused in her murder appeared in court Tuesday.

Anthony Pitts, 26, is the suspect detectives said pulled the trigger and killed 12-year-old Makiya Walls. But the suspected shooter's girlfriend, 29-year-old Danielle Cummings, and her friend, 28-year-old Reyna Mercado, were also charged with murder.

Mercado appeared visibly upset in court, crying uncontrollably at the beginning of the hearing.

Jeannette, who did not want to give out her last name, said she is Mercado's sister-in-law. She said no one was supposed to get shot. She said that Cummings and Mercado were in a fight with the 12-year-old girl's mother, Maesha McCullers.

"You know, females fight. They have words. We all do it. But that little girl did not have to get shot," Jeannette said.

She said they went over to the family home in Victorville that night to confront McCullers. That is when police said Pitts fired his shotgun, which went through the front window and accidentally hit Makiya Walls.

"Anthony came in. I don't know where he came in at. He shouldn't have been in a female situation. He shouldn't have been there at all. What he did is not OK," Jeannette said.

When San Bernardino County sheriff's officials announced the arrest of the three murder suspects, they had also arrested McCullers and her boyfriend.

"She was involved in some activity that amounted to credible terrorist threats," Sheriff John McMahon said.

But the district attorney's office declined to file any charges against McCullers.

"They did decide there was insufficient evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt so they did not file that case," San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Faherty said.

Pitts' bail is set at $1.75 million, while the other two suspects have slightly lower bail amounts.