6-year-old girl dies from injuries in North Carolina domestic violence murder-suicide
WILSON COUNTY, N.C. -- An entire family and community are in disbelief after a shooting that left a 6-year-old girl and her parents dead in a Sunday morning murder-suicide in North Carolina.
The incident started when the Wilson Police Department and Wilson County Sheriff's Office were called to a home in the 100-block of Weaver Circle in the Weaver Estates community of Sharpsburg around 5 a.m. for a shots fired report.
When they arrived, they found 30-year-old Devonte Ricks and 27-year-old Makyah Page, both of whom had been shot but survived. Ricks remains in critical but stable condition.
Authorities said their investigation led them to determine 32-year-old DaQuan Jones to be the shooter. He was said to be friends with Ricks and Page, authorities said.
"I heard a gunshot. So I said well what is going on," said one neighbor who did not want to be identified. "So I sat up in the bed to see if I won't hear any more because I thought these neighbors here were having a gathering."
The neighbor described the community as "mostly quiet".
Ricks' father told ABC Raleigh affiliate WTVD that his son was shot in the chest. He described the situation as "sad for everyone involved."
Law enforcement said Jones drove nearly 20 miles away to a home on Jamie Road in Nash County. They also said Jones went to the house to drop off his daughter, 6-year-old Zoey Jones, who had also been shot during the ordeal.
Zoey died Monday from her injuries, a family spokesperson told WTVD, a day after undergoing surgery.
Jones also shot and killed 27-year-old Kiera Massenburg, his romantic partner who was Zoey's mother, before fatally shooting himself.
The Nash County Sheriff's Office entered the home on Jamie Road and found Jones dead. They found Massenburg dead inside the car Jones was driving when he fled the scene at Weaver Circle.
"It's a loss. It's a hard loss," said the unidentified neighbor.
The Wilson County Sheriff's Office said Massenburg and Jones had a dating relationship.
"Kiera was known for her radiant smile and positive spirit, always bringing joy to those around her," said Massenburg family friend Nia Barner. "No matter the challenges she faced, Kiera never let her smile fade, touching the hearts of everyone who knew her. Her sudden and tragic death has left a profound impact on those closest to her, as they grapple with the pain of losing someone so full of life and love."
The family is raising money to help with funeral expenses and to provide family support.
An incident like this is disheartening to the community and to the families that will endure this pain for the rest of their lives," said Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodard. "This does not make any sense when you see someone who could've taken a second chance in life to change his behavior. His actions have restricted a child from having a chance to enjoy life, play with dolls, go to prom and tell her mother that she loves her every day. Prayers definitely go out to the family as the system needs to work more to protect innocent people from gun violence."
