‘Save me God.’ Mom devastated after 15-year-old daughter shot and killed in Miami.
A 15-year-old girl died after being shot in the head early Tuesday morning, according to her family.
“I’m devastated and I don’t know how to pull it together for my other two kids,” said Maria Elena Gray, who identified herself as the 15-year-old girl’s mother, in a Facebook post. “Save me God.”
In the post, Gray said her daughter, Arya Gray, died from “a gunshot wound to her head by her friend.”
Miami police said they were called to an apartment complex at 7825 NE 10th Ave. around 2 a.m. Tuesday to a report of shots being fired. The girl was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.
Police did not confirm if Arya died at the hospital and also did not release any details about the shooting. Family members told WSVN she succumbed to her injuries hours later.
“She was a beautiful girl. She had her whole life ahead of her,” her uncle, Sergio Rastelli, told the station. “It’s not fair. A young life of 15 years old, for no reason.”
Kiara Delva, a spokeswoman for Miami police, said one person was immediately detained for questioning. It was not clear Tuesday night if any charges had been filed.
Rastelli told WSVN the second-floor apartment where the shooting happened was not where Arya lived and that she was visiting friends. He does not know where the gun came from or how the teens found it.
Bianka Krausch, a friend of the Gray family, set up a GoFundMe to raise $25,000 to cover funeral and memorial costs.
“Please help us share this and support Maria who is going through the most difficult time that a mother can endure, in an already over-stressed time for all,” the GoFundMe said.
By Wednesday afternoon, the fundraiser had received more than $20,000 from more than 400 donors.
The comments sharing condolences for Arya started pouring in.
“Words can’t describe how heartbroken I am about this,” said one person who donated. “I can’t even imagine what the family must feel. Arya was such a sweetheart. R.I.P baby girl.”
Alberto Carvalho, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools superintendent, tweeted out condolences on Tuesday night,
“Completely preventable & utterly heartbreaking. As long as weapons are accessible to children, tragedies like these will no doubt continue to happen. Tonight, we mourn the loss of this young & promising life,” he said.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 11:57 PM.
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