INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Sleeping 8-Year-Old Girl Shot Dead Moments After Surviving Houston Crash

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 12:00 PST, Feb 26, 2017

An eight-year-old girl in Houston, Texas was shot dead just moments after surviving a horrific car crash early Saturday morning, the ABC News reports.

At around 2 a.m. on February 25, Latoyia Thomas was on her way home after getting her hair done, traveling east on Houston roadway in her Honda Accord when she reached a traffic light and wasn’t able to stop after the light turned yellow.

Thomas reportedly crashed into a Pontiac that was traveling southbound at high speed, along with a third vehicle. It was reported that the driver of the Pontiac abandoned the car crash.

Afterward, Thomas stated that she turned around to see if her daughter, DeMaree Adkins, who had been asleep in the backseat of the vehicle, was okay. “I said, ‘Are you okay?’ because she was asleep. She never even knew what happened,” said Thomas.

Moments later, another vehicle pulled next to the mother and daughter, and an unidentified woman could be seen rolling down her window, pulling out a gun and firing at the Honda Accord.

Thomas stated that she initially thought the woman was going to offer help, but she opened fire and later left the scene. “Each one of those bullets hit the back of my car where my baby was,” said the mother.

Afterward, Thomas pulled the eight-year-old girl out of the vehicle and laid her on the ground. She thought her daughter was still sleeping, but when she saw blood on DeMaree’s jacket, she knew the girl had been hit by a bullet.

“I pulled her shirt up, and she got shot – the bullet went in the right and came out the left side,” Thomas stated during an emotional interview. “I kept telling her, ‘Wake up, wake up. Stay with me. Stay with me. Stay with me. Stay with me.'”

Emergency medical services were called to the car crash scene and rushed DeMaree to a local hospital, where she later died.

The mother was not injured in the crash or in the shooting.

Houston police officials believe the shooter was chasing the Pontiac that crashed into the Thomas’ vehicle.

“Never thought I’d be burying my eight-year-old daughter,” said Thomas. “That was my baby. She was a good girl, honor roll student, full of life. They took my baby away from me, why?”

“She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t. She was only eight.”

She went on to say that her “daughter was full of life” and now she “can’t watch her grow up.”

The victim’s cousin, Victoria Jarmon, said: “I would do anything for her. She really meant the world to me. Before the accident, she FaceTime me, and she told me that she loved me.”

After the eight-year-old girl was shot dead moments after surviving a Houston crash, relatives created a Go Fund Me page to help pay for her funeral expenses. The family has reached over $8,000 in donations, but they are seeking $15,000.

“Nothing can take away the immeasurable pain caused by this loss, but I have started this campaign in hopes of relieving the financial burden this will cause. Any donation and show of support are appreciated,” the site states. “I ask that you keep Latoyia and the rest of her family supported in your thoughts and prayers.”

“Words can’t express the depth of gratitude we have for your outpouring of love and support shown to our family in the wake of our tragic and untimely loss of our precious De’Maree. May each one of you be abundantly blessed.”

Police officials are searching for the drivers of a white Pontiac, which remained at the crash scene, a dark four-door sedan, and a Pontiac.

“Whoever you are, lady, justice will be served. They will get you,” said the eight-year-old girl‘s mother.

An investigation is ongoing.

[Featured Image By Deepblue4you/iStock]

Share this article: Sleeping 8-Year-Old Girl Shot Dead Moments After Surviving Houston Crash
Houston
More from Inquisitr