Olympic gymnast Simone Biles spent most of her childhood in a different household in a different state than her brother, who was accused of killing three people on New Year’s Eve in Ohio, a few years ago. The Olympic gold medalist’s older brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas, an active duty U.S. Army service member based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, was arrested Thursday taken into custody at about 3:30 p.m., according to an official with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
He was charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, and perjury, according to a statement from Cleveland police. The alleged shooting took place at a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31, 2018 at an Airbnb rental, when an “uninvited group” entered the home and “an altercation ensued” between the group and guests, say Cleveland police.
Delvante Johnson, 19, Toshaun Banks, 21, and Devaughn Gibson, 23, were killed when gunfire erupted. After conducting an investigation, authorities “identified Biles-Thomas as a shooter in the incident,” the statement alleges. News of the murder charges stunned the world and raised questions about the relationship between Simone, a four-time gold medalist, and her brother.
my brother tevin | everyone says we look like twins but we don’t see it pic.twitter.com/WnljD48rMQ — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 11, 2017. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Simone, Tevin and sisters, Adria and Ashley, were placed in foster care at a young age because their mother, Shannon Biles, struggled with addiction, The Washington Post reports.
“My biological mom was suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and she was in and out of jail,” Simone told Dancing with the Stars in 2017. “I never had a mom to run to.” When Simone was 6, she and her sister Adria, were adopted by their grandfather and was raised in Houston, Texas, CBS News reports.
Tevin and Ashley were adopted by their great aunt and lived in Cleveland, local station WOIO reports. A natural athlete, Simone was discovered at 6 years old on a daycare field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix. “She was having fun and started copying other gymnasts at the back of the gym,” according to her Website bio. “One of the coaches, Ms. Ronnie saw her and told Coach Aimee. They sent a letter home to her parents. Simone started taking recreational classes and the rest is history.”
Earlier this month, she made history at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships when she became the first female to land the near-to-impossible triple-double combination — two back flips with three mid-air twists — clinching her sixth all-around U.S. title at the championships.
It’s unclear how close Simone and her brother are or how she feels about the allegations. On Thursday, she tweeted, “Eating my feelings don’t talk to me.” eating my feelings don’t talk to me — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 30, 2019. That same day, she posted a picture of her with her former boyfriend, gymnast turned pro wrestler, Stacey Ervin, Jr., saying, “missing you a lil extra today.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, USA Gymnastics says, “In this challenging time for Simone Biles and her family, USA Gymnastics offers our continued support to Simone, her family and her gymnastics family. This is a very personal and private situation for the Biles family and we will respect their privacy and hope others will do the same.”
Biles-Thomas is being held at Liberty County Jail in Hinesville, Georgia. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing in Cleveland, according to court records. He has not yet entered a plea.
It is unclear when he will be extradited. Court records do not list an attorney for Biles-Thomas. A rep for Simone and the Olympic Committee did not immediately return PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
