Video released

Kidnapped girl (15) shot dead by US police

After Savannah got out of the car, police opened fire on the unarmed teenager - her body is pixelated in the picture, lying between the police car and her father's car.

(Bild: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Krone KREATIV)

When Savannah Graziano (15) was abducted by her father in California in 2022, her rescue seemed to be nearing completion: The police had already surrounded the kidnapper's car. But when the girl ran towards the officers, as instructed by the police, they shot her dead. It was not until 1.5 years later that the video recordings of the incident were released - they do not shed a good light on the way the police officers worked.

The tragedy began when Anthony Graziano (45) murdered his wife. He then abducted his 15-year-old daughter and engaged in a wild chase with the police. He repeatedly shot at the police chasing him.

After Savannah got out of the car, the police opened fire on the unarmed teenager - her body is pixelated in the picture, lying between the police car and her father's car.

(Bild: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Krone KREATIV)

In the town of Hesperia, about 130 kilometers from Los Angeles, the vehicle was stopped on a freeway. Savannah was eventually ordered to approach the officers - but instead of being rescued, she was fatally shot by police gunfire. 

Here you can see the video of the fatal police operation:

Police claimed girl may have fired
After the incident, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office claimed the girl ran quickly towards the officers and was wearing "tactical gear", as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Officers also noted that the girl had fired shots during the chase.

Officer shouted "Stop!" after shooting at girl
However, the audio and sound recordings, which have now been released 1.5 years later, paint a different picture. They show how the girl followed the instructions of a police officer who shouted: "Come to me! Come, come, come!" As she walked towards him, she is hit by another policeman's bullet. A policeman can be heard shouting: "Stop! Stop shooting, he's in the car." After that, more shots were fired - Savannah lay lifeless on the side of the road. Her father and kidnapper was also shot dead by officers shortly afterwards.

A picture of the girl who was shot dead: 

Relative calls for better education
The turn of events in this case caused a wave of outrage in the USA. The sheriff's office declined to comment. The girl's uncle is stunned - he understands that the operation was a chaotic situation, he told US media. "There needs to be better training so that unarmed people are not killed," demanded CJ Wyatt, the brother of Savannah's mother who was killed.

The video shows that at least one of the officers tried to save the girl. "He clearly knew it was Savannah. So what's the difference between him and the others?" Wyatt said in reference to the officers who fired shots.