In the late summer of 2021, the life of a 14-year-old White female, DaNija Lashae Marie Miller, was tragically cut short in Rutledge, West Virginia. On August 15, 2021, DaNija was fatally shot in her bedroom. The incident was not the result of a random act of violence, but rather stemmed from the reckless handling of a firearm by someone she knew.
The individual responsible for her death was identified as Chrishaun Coller, a teenager who was reportedly "messing around with a gun" in the moments leading up to the fatal shot. According to reports, this was not the first instance of such careless behavior, as he had been playing with the weapon in the woods near DaNija earlier. The senseless act of violence left a community in mourning and a family searching for answers.
In the aftermath, legal proceedings were initiated against Chrishaun Coller. He was ultimately charged and sentenced in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
For his role in DaNija's death, Coller received a sentence of 11 years in jail on charges of involuntary manslaughter and wanton endangerment. During the sentencing, the court heard emotional testimony from DaNija's mother, who expressed her belief that the shooting was not accidental and questioned Coller's prior actions with the firearm. Coller offered an apology to the family, stating that he never intended for such a tragedy to occur. The judge, in delivering the sentence, remarked on the finality of DaNija's fate, highlighting that while Coller has the possibility of a future, DaNija's has been permanently extinguished.
