DC mother draws strength from family and faith after daughter's shooting in Southeast
WASHINGTON - Precious Fernandez says she’s leaning on a supportive family and her faith following the death of her 15-year-old daughter.
Detectives say Fernandez' daughter, Niomi Russell, was standing outside an apartment building Sunday night in Southeast D.C. when someone in a car fired shots.
After a preliminary investigation, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith believes the teen was not the intended target.
Fernandez told FOX 5 that the family had just moved from their home in Southeast D.C. to Northwest last week and Niomi had returned to their old neighborhood to spend some time with friends during Spring Break.
"She was a great kid," Fernandez said. "She was my second child, and she was just lovable. She was so sweet."
Niomi also loved to read and was a good student, her mom said.
The shots rang out of a car around 11 p.m. Sunday in the 2400 block of Elvans Rd Southeast.
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15-year-old girl killed in shooting in Southeast DC
A teen girl was shot and killed Sunday night in Southwest D.C., police say.
Detectives reported that when Niomi was hit she ran into an apartment building, and died a short time later.
The family was already dealing with the loss of Niomi's father to a heart attack in 2023. But Fernandez told FOX 5 that she finds solace in knowing that her daughter has reunited with her father and grandmothers; one of whom she never met."
"I do watch the news all of the time," Fernandez said. "I never thought it would happen to my kid. But, I mean, it’s, you know, it’s unfortunate. I just know that God makes no mistakes. She’s an angel right now. She’s with her grandma. She’s with both of her grandmothers, and she’s with her dad right now. And they wanted to talk to her, they wanted to speak with her."
The grieving mom added that she’s praying for her daughter’s killer so that they understand the pain they’ve caused. She wants desperately to get guns off the streets and create an environment where kids can safely be kids.
She says her daughter deserved to be able to grow up.
The Metropolitan Police Department has not revealed any updates in the case. Detectives are still searching for the person who pulled the trigger that night. They're offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.