Gabrielle Kinard, a 38-year-old African American woman, tragically lost her life on December 13, 2008, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The incident occurred at her residence, where she was found face down in the front yard near a van parked in the driveway. Gabrielle had suffered two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son, 18-year-old Angelo Kinard, was also shot and found non-responsive on the living room floor.
He was taken to Carolinas Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Gabrielle's daughter, 15-year-old Gabriella Kinard, was also shot but survived the attack with a bullet grazing her right cheek.
The perpetrator of this heinous crime was Scott Edwin Davis, a 50-year-old man who was living with Gabrielle and her family at the time. Davis was the father of Gabrielle's 5-month-old daughter. On the night of the incident, a discussion took place about Davis moving out of the house due to his recent job loss and refusal to seek counseling. Following this discussion, Davis retrieved a gun from the bedroom he shared with Gabrielle and began firing. He shot Angelo inside the home, followed Gabrielle as she tried to flee, and shot her in the front yard. Gabriella managed to escape and seek help from a neighbor.
Davis was arrested at the scene and later admitted to the shootings. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Gabrielle and Angelo, and one count of attempted first-degree murder for the attack on Gabriella. In June 2012, Davis pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, followed by an additional 157-198 months in prison. The decision to allow Davis to enter a guilty plea was made after consulting with the family of Gabrielle and Angelo, who opposed the death penalty and wanted Davis to spend the rest of his life in prison reflecting on his crimes.
