In the summer of 2014, a senseless act of violence cut short the life of a two-year-old girl, Kamiya LaShawn Gross, in Inkster, Michigan. On July 1st, Kamiya was sitting in a car with her father, Kenneth French, and a family friend in front of their home when the unimaginable happened. A man approached the vehicle and opened fire, striking all three occupants.
While Kenneth French and the family friend survived their injuries, Kamiya was fatally wounded by a gunshot to the head.
The investigation that followed revealed a chilling motive behind the brutal attack. The shooting was not a random act of violence, but a calculated plan of revenge targeting Kamiya's father. Two men, Raymone Jackson, then 25, and Raphael Hearn, then 30, were identified as the perpetrators. It was determined that Jackson was the gunman who approached the car and fired the shots, while Hearn served as the getaway driver. The prosecution asserted that their intention was to make Kenneth French suffer by forcing him to witness his daughter's murder.
The legal process brought a measure of justice for Kamiya and her grieving family. Both Raymone Jackson and Raphael Hearn were arrested and faced a litany of charges. Jackson was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder, torture, two counts of assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and felony firearm. Hearn was also convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the crime. In March of 2015, both men were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring they would never again pose a threat to the community. During the sentencing, the presiding judge described the crime as one of the most heinous he had encountered in his extensive legal career. The emotional impact statements from Kamiya's parents underscored the profound and lasting pain caused by the loss of their child.
