Mother, 13-year-old daughter charged in teen's fatal stabbing

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A mother and daughter are behind bars Tuesday night, accused of killing a 15-year-old girl.

Tamika Gayden, 35, is charged with first degree murder. Police say she gave a knife to her 13-year-old daughter, who then stabbed DeKayla Dansberry during a fight last Saturday.

The 13-year-old appeared in juvenile court Tuesday. Police say the dispute may have been over a boy and may have started on social media.

Prosecutors say a witness told them the teen suspect was seen washing blood off the knife and allegedly said, "I killed her, I killed her."

"It's sort of like children, kids stuff. It shouldn't have escalated to where someone was stabbed," said DeKayla's father, Julian Glanton.

Two people taken into custody over the Saturday evening were released without charges.

Dansberry was a freshman track star and cheerleader at Johnson College Prep, her family said.

Police said the girl was stabbed in the chest around 7:30 p.m. at the Parkway Gardens Homes near West 64th and South King Drive in the West Woodlawn neighborhood.

She was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, where she later died.

Family and friends held a vigil Sunday for DeKayla. For the last six years, she spent Friday nights at teen worship at New Beginnings Church.

On Sunday, her family and friends came together in her memory.

"A lot of times what happens when we go through this situation with young people, they need an opportunity to grieve, an opportunity to express themselves, so we want to do that in peaceful type of way," said Pastor Corey Brooks. "You have teenagers who are getting into arguments or disputes for various reasons, and sometimes the arguments and disputes get out of hand."

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.