DALLAS, TEXAS – A tragic incident unfolded in Dallas on Wednesday afternoon, as a 6-year-old girl was fatally shot in her family’s home. The girl, identified as Ah’Laynah Modica-Ross, was critically injured and later passed away at the hospital. The shooting occurred while her mother was at a mortuary making funeral arrangements for her 14-year-old brother, who had died just days earlier after being shot.
Details surrounding the shooting are still emerging, but the Dallas Police Department disclosed that two adults and two other children were present in the home at the time of the incident. Investigators arrested 19-year-old Damariya Sowels on suspicion of tampering with physical evidence, in addition to other unrelated warrants. According to Sowels, he had brought two guns to the home and left one unattended in a bedroom where the shooting occurred.
This heartbreaking tragedy comes just days after Ah’Laynah’s older brother, Ah-bralen “Bra” Rider, was fatally shot at a friend’s apartment on December 29. Another 14-year-old was also wounded in the incident. And just last week, the children’s mother spoke about her son’s death in an interview with a local news station, expressing her overwhelming grief.
The family is now faced with the devastating loss of two young children within a matter of days, prompting a wave of deep sorrow and anguish. As the community mourns the loss of Ah’Laynah and her brother, they seek to come together and support the family in this difficult time.
This tragic series of events serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of gun violence, especially on young, innocent lives. The incidents have left the family and the community reeling from the profound sense of loss. The mourning family is now grappling with the painful reality of having to lay two of their beloved children to rest.