Dyuanna Alearah Anderson, a 2-year-old African American girl, tragically lost her life on August 5, 2014, in Weldon, North Carolina. The incident occurred when shots were fired into her home on Cedar Street around midnight. Dyuanna was struck in the face and succumbed to her injuries. Her grandmother, 54-year-old Catherine Price, was also critically injured in the shooting, sustaining seven gunshot wounds to her head and lower body.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was a
retaliatory act for another shooting that had occurred just hours earlier. Dyuanna's uncle, Teddy Anderson Jr., was wanted in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Keyuon Garner, who was shot and killed less than a mile from where Dyuanna lived. The police believe that Garner's death led to the retaliatory shooting that claimed Dyuanna's life.
Four individuals were charged in connection with Dyuanna's murder. Jamonte Lamoncion Moody, 19, Semajs Short, 17, William David Cook, 21, and Victor Mallory, 21, were each charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. The suspects were arrested and held without bond.
In 2017, Semajs Short pled guilty to second-degree murder in Dyuanna's case and was sentenced to 300 to 372 months in prison. Jamonte Moody pled guilty to the attempted murder of Catherine Price and was sentenced to 125 to 162 months in prison. The other two suspects were scheduled to appear in court later. The case highlighted the devastating impact of gun violence and the tragic loss of an innocent child's life.
