"5-year-old Khamaya was riding in the car with her mother and brother when she was struck by stray bullets entering the vehicle," GoFundMe revealed.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on July 7, 2022. It has since been updated.
Trigger Warning: This story mentions gun violence that may be disturbing to readers.
A 5-year-old girl was shot dead at a Houston intersection in a drive-by shooting and now officials are searching for the alleged gunmen responsible.
The shooting took place on July 3, 2022, at about 1 am, according to the Houston Police Department, per PEOPLE. At a news conference, Assistant Chief Chandra Hatcher said that the little girl's mom was driving when another car pulled up next to them at a stop sign.
The suspect's vehicle fired multiple shots at the car, injuring the girl and her 8-year-old brother, who were both seated in the backseat. Almost immediately, the mom drove the car to the nearest hospital, where she was informed that her daughter was brought dead.
The mom identified her daughter, the victim, as Khamaya Dior Donelson, per ABC13. Khamaya's brother was reportedly shot in the arm, too, but his injuries are not too grave and he is expected to survive the ordeal.
A GoFundMe set up to raise funds for the little girl's funeral revealed that the incident took place while the family was on their way back home.
This is 5-year-old Khamaya Dior Donelson. She was in the car with her mother and siblings on Sunday in Greenspoint when she was shot and killed. HPD says a man fired from a car towards the food store at the intersection of Northborough and Rushcreek. The suspect shot Khamaya. pic.twitter.com/McXAX8jshC
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) July 6, 2022
"On July 3, 2022. Heading home from daycare. 5-year-old Khamaya was riding in the car with her mother and brother when she was struck by stray bullets entering the vehicle. This tragic loss has left family and friends devastated and confused. She was such a precious child full of love and laughter. With sadness in our hearts, At this time we are asking our Houston community as well as anyone that this reaches to please!!! Help us lay her to rest."
In an emotional post on Facebook, the mother, Kristena Watters, wrote about the traumatic event.
"My son witnessed his little sister, his best friend for lifeeeee that was hit with a stray bullet die in his lap while we sped to the hospital! i knew my baby was gone & still prayed to god to let my baby wake up."
"They’re telling me they tried everything they could for my baby girl. one of my babies died & one of my babies made it. but a piece of the both of us died with our baby girl," she wrote. "God knew i was terrified of raising my babies in this cruel world & he felt she needed the love & light he could offer. but knew i needed khamanis love & light with me on earth. i still don’t believe this is happening to us."
5-yr-old Khamaya Dior Donelson was shot & killed on Sunday. She was caught in the crossfire of a drive by shooting. And now police are asking for your help to find the person responsible. Khamaya was in the car with her mom & brother. Her mom has just getting off work & picked t pic.twitter.com/Ikk9WabKKw
— Anayeli Ruiz KHOU (@AnayeliNews) July 6, 2022
In another post, she wrote, "Hearing my son say it should’ve been him, she was the youngest ??? hurts my fu**in heart!!! This wasn’t a part of our journey baby boy."
Meanwhile, the cops are trying to find if there was a motive behind the murder, adding that it's unclear if the victims were the intended target. Latest updates from law enforcement officials revealed they are looking for two Black males who were driving a dark-colored vehicle.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.
References:
https://people.com/crime/5-year-old-girl-shot-killed-houston-drive-by/
https://abc13.com/houston-crime-khamaya-dior-donelson-killed-5-year-old-drive-by-shooting/12021434/
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe | Khamaya
