13-year-old girl shot to death in Raleigh apartment attended Ligon Middle School
A 13-year-old girl found dead early Monday in a Raleigh apartment has been identified as Mykia Daniel.
Around 2:30 a.m., officers responded to The Trails of North Hills Apartments off Lead Mine Road around 2:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found Daniel already dead from being shot.
On Tuesday, Ligon Magnet Middle School principal Gary Duvall said Daniel was an eighth grader.
"Our condolences and thoughts go out to her family and friends," Duvall wrote. "Please keep them and all of those that have been impacted by this loss in your hearts."
Raleigh police said Tuesday officers are not actively searching for anyone in the ongoing investigation.
A representative for the girl's family described the apartment as a "party house." They said Daniel did not live in the apartment where she was found dead; she lived in southeast Raleigh.
A WRAL News crew looked inside the apartment using a window. There was limited furniture, trash and food waste and party lights around the ceiling where the alleged party occurred.
"I think they're devastated. I think they're confused and hurt overall," said family advocate Kim Muktarian with Save Our Sons who spoke on behalf of the family. "No mother wants to hear this. No one wants to hear their child, this young, could be a victim of gun violence."
According to Muktarian, Daniel was recently suspended from school. Muktarian said the family had filed court papers involving the girl. WRAL is trying to learn more about the suspension and court filing.
"She was a caring and a loving, scared child," Muktarian said. "And, she had to face situations that most children at 13, or her age, would not have to face in a normal situation."
Muktarian said this painful experience of a young, Black child being lost to gun violence is a struggle and fear in the Black community.
"These battles did just not happen yesterday," she said.
On Monday morning police officers were knocking on neighbors' doors at 3 a.m. as part of the investigation.
For hours, dozens of loved ones have been sitting around the complex – some gathering in lawn chairs, fighting through tears or leaning on each other for support. All of them waiting for any shred of information while police walked in and out of the apartment with bags of evidence.
It is not yet clear how the girl was shot. However, Broadcastiify radio traffic said, "The caller was saying someone was playing with a 10-32 and was shot."
There are no details from police yet on the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No suspects are in custody.
