A woman fatally shot in a Cleveland home last week has been identified as 38-year-old Ashley Nicole Burns, according to the Cleveland Police Department.
Police responded to reports of a shooting around 5:28 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, in the 200 block of William Barnett Avenue. Upon arrival, officers were met by a man sitting on the front porch who told them he had shot a woman inside the residence.
Officers forced entry into the home and found Burns lying unresponsive on the master bedroom floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts by police, fire personnel and EMS, she was pronounced dead at the scene by Liberty County Pct. 6 Justice of the Peace Ralph Fuller.
The suspect, identified as Lewis Burns — also known as Lewis Jones — was immediately detained. He has been charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and was initially booked into the Cleveland Police Jail before being transferred to the Liberty County Jail. His bond was set at $200,000 by Liberty County Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace Wade Brown.
Burns was known in the community and had worked for many years at the Cleveland Walmart, where she was described by customers as “always very kind and helpful.”
She was also active in several local volunteer organizations, and a graduate of the Cleveland High School Class of 2005, where she was a member of the Royal Braves Marching Band.
“We want to share our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ashley,” said Police Chief Broussard in a statement. “Our investigators will work diligently with prosecutors and the courts to see that justice is served on Ashley’s behalf.”
For those experiencing domestic violence, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.