Man sentenced for murder of 6-year-old Isis Allen

PITTSBURGH — The man convicted in the death last July of a 6-year-old girl who was shot as she played on the front porch of a home in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood was sentenced Tuesday.

Kamau Thomas Jr. was sentenced to 15 to 40 years in prison for third-degree murder. Thomas' sentence was part of a plea deal.

Police said Thomas fired shots in the direction of the home, striking Isis Allen in the head. The child later died at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh after she was taken off life support.

Authorities said Thomas was on Sarah Street in Knoxville on the night of July 17, 2016, to act as "security" for a "girl fight." Prosecutors said Thomas spotted a man who he said had a gun and threatened him.

Police said Thomas told investigators that he got a gun and fired it toward the house where the man was seen, intending to scare him. The gun went off several times and hit Isis as she played in the front yard.

In court Tuesday, Thomas, who is now 20, said he was sorry for the shooting and said he did not mean for any of this to happen.

"I'm truly, truly sorry for my actions," Thomas said.

Isis' mother said she won't condemn her daughter's killer, but she won't forgive him, either.

"He's still available. People can still reach out to him. There is no reaching out to Isis. Isis is gone and I'm still having a hard time with that," Taquea Sykes said. "How much does he really care? He knew what he was doing."

Sykes has moved to Arizona, saying she is in so much pain and that she doesn't think she'll ever be able to live in Pittsburgh again. When asked if she believes Thomas is remorseful, Sykes said, "I really don't ... He just decided to destroy everything that I ever loved."

Thomas' mother apologized to Isis' family in court, and told her son she loved him and would stand by him. She offered her condolences to Isis' family and said her heart is broken, too. Several of Isis' family members got out and walked out of the courtroom while Thomas' mother was speaking.

Thomas will be given credit for the seven months jail time he's already served, but there is a possibility he will be 60 years old before he's released from prison.

Channel 11's Renee Kaminski is the ONLY reporter who spoke with Isis Allen's mother. She tells Kaminski why she doesn't feel comfortable returning to Pittsburgh, tonight on Channel 11 News starting at 5 p.m.

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