CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) – A man was arrested in Durham Sunday after a one-year-old girl was shot on Christmas evening outside a Chapel Hill apartment complex, authorities say.
According to Chapel Hill Police, officers responded to a report of a shooting in the area of 751 Trinity Court just before 5:45 p.m. Friday. Upon arrival, officers learned that shots had been fired from a vehicle that was leaving the complex.
Police said the one-year-old girl was located at the scene and transported to UNC Hospitals. The child, identified as Maleah Williams, underwent surgery overnight and remains in critical condition as of Sunday.
Shaquille Oneill Davis, age 22, was arrested just before noon on Sunday by the U.S. Marshals Joint Fugitive Task Force, Chapel Hill Police said.
Davis was wanted by Chapel Hill Police for Attempted First Degree Murder and Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury, officials said.
The investigation into Maleah’s shooting led members of the task force to the 3500 block of Century Oaks Road in Durham. While conducting surveillance in the area, Davis was seen getting into a vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident, police said.
Larunda Craig, a friend of the family of the child, witnessed the shooting and identified the little girl as Maleah Williams.
“It was crazy. Kids was terrified, traumatized. Kids hollering and screaming. Parents crying, trying to figure out what’s going on. Just terrifying. Very terrifying,” she said. “It’s just very senseless, what happened to her.”
Craig described the scene of the shooting as one that was full of kids playing with their new toys before tragedy struck.
“It was like eight to 12 kids out here playing on a Christmas day with their new toys and they couldn’t even enjoy because of this senseless crime.”
The children that were outside playing when the shooting occurred are traumatized, Craig said.
“My son is traumatized. He couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t sleep last night. He jumps up and says that every car is going to shoot him and that’s very sad that a three-year-old have to go through that.”
Craig said she’s heartbroken over what happened and that violence like this needs to stop.
“Whoever did this needs to be caught. And, the kids or adults didn’t deserve to have to experience this, nothing like this last night,” she said. “It broke my heart to see that. It broke my heart to see that baby laying the way she was laying over a senseless crime – senseless crime. People need to put the guns down and stop the violence. Stop the violence. It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it.”
Craig said Williams didn’t live at the apartment complex and was just visiting when she was shot.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Maleah.
Davis is being held in the Orange County Jail under a $650,000 secured bond.
Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger released a statement Sunday on the shooting.
Our hearts are grieving over this horrible tragedy, the shooting of an innocent child. My thoughts and prayers are with Maleah’s mother and father, her family and neighbors. We are all praying for her recovery, although we know, sadly, that their lives are forever changed.
Home. Family. Safety. We have a right to demand this as a community. Over this holiday time, I know that citizens of Chapel Hill share my sense of sorrow and outrage. This is a time to come together and speak out against gun violence. Our community should be a safe and peaceful place for everyone. We need greater gun control measures now that will reduce the availability of guns here and everywhere.
I would like to thank our Police Department that has been working throughout the weekend to apprehend the shooting suspect, who has been arrested and is in custody.”
Davis is scheduled to appear in Orange County court Monday afternoon and is also scheduled to appear Jan. 15, 2016 on five unrelated charges ranging from drug possession/selling to probation violations.
