In the summer of 2014, a senseless act of violence cut short the life of two-year-old Kamiya LaShawn Gross in Inkster, Michigan. On the first of July, the young girl was sitting in a car with her father, Kenneth French, and a family friend in front of their home. What should have been an ordinary day turned into a nightmare when a man approached the vehicle and opened fire. Kamiya was tragically shot in the head at point-blank range.
Her father and the other adult in the car were also wounded but survived the horrific attack.
The investigation that followed revealed the shooting was a targeted act of revenge against Kamiya's father. Two men, Raymone Jackson, who was 25 at the time, and his accomplice, 30-year-old Raphael Hearn, were identified as the perpetrators. Jackson was the gunman who approached the car and fired the shots, while Hearn served as the getaway driver. The motive behind this brutal crime was retaliation for a prior incident involving Kenneth French. The prosecution asserted that the attack was premeditated, with the intent to make French suffer by witnessing the murder of his own daughter.
The community was left in shock and mourning. Hundreds gathered for Kamiya's funeral, which tragically fell on what would have been her third birthday. The grief was palpable as mourners sang 'Happy Birthday' to the little girl who was laid to rest. The emotional toll on her mother, Erica Gross, was evident as she was overcome with grief during the service.
Justice for Kamiya came in March of 2015. Raymone Jackson was convicted of a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, torture, and two counts of assault with intent to murder. Raphael Hearn was also found guilty of first-degree murder. The judge who presided over the case described it as one of the most heinous he had encountered in his extensive legal career. Both men were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring they would never again have the freedom to inflict such pain. While Jackson offered an apology during the sentencing, Kamiya's parents expressed their belief that it was insincere, the words offering no solace for their immense and permanent loss.
