Family of an eight-year-old girl slain by police has reached a $11 million settlement

This week, the deal was reached in federal court, two years after Fanta Bility and three other people were shot and killed outside of Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill, just north of Philadelphia.

Van der Veen, Hartshorn and Levin, the legal team representing Bility’s family, expressed hope that the settlement would provide a “measure of justice and accountability to those whose lives were forever changed.”

Fanta’s mother, Tenneh Kromah,told the media outlet, “There is no amount of money that will ever bring Fanta back or erase the horrible tragedy of what occurred on August 27, 2021, from our minds.”

“We intend to move on and continue maintaining Fanta’s name and legacy, particularly through the Fanta Bility Foundation.”

According to the Borough of Sharon Hill, the case settlement should “provide those impacted a small measure of closure.”

On Thursday, the borough said, “Going forward, we will continue to mourn with and extend our deepest sympathies to the Bility family.”

“We’ll also keep raising the bar by staying dedicated to enhancing and putting into place policies to guard against tragedies like this and by working hard to guarantee the security of Sharon Hill residents while rebuilding public confidence and trust.”

Three cops who were stationed nearby fired their firearms when youths started shooting at each other during an altercation, according to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.

Fanta was shot once in the torso, resulting in her death. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said that investigators had concluded the girl was murdered by gunshots from the police.

Following the incident on August 27, 2021, the department dismissed Devon Smith, Sean Dolan, and Brian Devaney and prosecuted them with voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment.

In November 2022, they entered a guilty plea to ten counts of reckless endangerment each. The accusations of involuntary manslaughter and manslaughter were dropped as part of the agreed plea agreements. They were given a five-year probationary term in May.

According to the prosecution, the plea agreement was struck after consulting with Fanta’s family.

As to the statement released by the lawyers representing Fanta’s family, the deal settles three cases against the Borough of Sharon Hill. There are nine claimants included in the settlement.