Kha’Terra Wimika Griffin was a 17-year-old Black girl from Columbus, Ohio, known affectionately to her loved ones as "BB." She shared a deep bond with her older sister, 30-year-old Shamira Rhodes, and the two were always together. A family friend described Kha’Terra as a child who had her "whole life ahead of her." She was also a great aunt to her sister's children.
On the night of September 25, 2022, the two sisters were at the Queen of Hearts Pub on East Livingston Avenue.
According to police, a brawl broke out inside the nightclub during a gathering. The altercation escalated when at least one firearm was produced and shots were fired, striking both Kha’Terra and Shamira.
When Columbus Police officers arrived, they found the two sisters with gunshot wounds. Shamira Rhodes was pronounced dead at the scene. Kha’Terra was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. She fought for her life for several weeks, undergoing ten surgeries, but her kidneys, heart, and liver eventually began to shut down. On the morning of October 15, 2022, Kha’Terra died from her injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide led police to identify a suspect. SWAT officers arrested Amara Marie Battle, who was 28 at the time. She was charged with two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault in the deaths of Kha’Terra Griffin and Shamira Rhodes. The case proceeded through the justice system, and Battle was ultimately convicted of murder for the 2022 nightclub shooting.
