In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 28, 2022, 16-year-old Ja’Miyah Lawrence’s life was tragically cut short when she became a victim in a random shooting spree on Detroit's west side. A high school senior with dreams of attending Michigan State University, Ja'Miyah was an honor roll student, a talented dancer, and a beloved daughter and sister.
Her mother, Latoya Foster, described her as a heaven-sent child who would go out of her way to help others, even assisting her mother with her nursing school studies.
The night before her death, following a disagreement with her mother, Ja’Miyah left her home. Her family grew concerned when she did not return and filed a missing person's report. Tragically, Ja'Miyah was shot and killed around 5:30 a.m. in the area of Margareta and Wyoming avenues. For days, she remained unidentified in the morgue, initially described only by the clothes she was wearing and the contents of her purse. The family’s worst fears were realized when her mother identified her days later.
The randomness of the act sent a wave of fear through the community. The person allegedly responsible for this and other shootings that day was identified as 19-year-old Dontae Ramon Smith. Smith was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the shooting spree that claimed the lives of three people, including Ja'Miyah, and injured another. In the wake of this senseless violence, Ja'Miyah is remembered by her family as a bright light who was dearly loved and will be deeply missed.
