Her name was Malijah Grant and like most 1-year-old little girls she was a precious joy to her family and those who knew her. Last week in Kent, Washington, near Seattle, she was in her car seat with her parents when someone fired five shots into the vehicle, one of the bullets struck Malijah in the head. After a weekend of prayer and grief, little Malijah was declared brain dead and removed from life support on Saturday.
At first police thought the shooting was an incident of road rage. Initial reports stated that her parents were arguing with an occupant of a black car because of a minor traffic incident regarding who had the right to turn. But now police are stating that they believe that the incident was not random. “The tragic shooting that took place yesterday is a top priority for the Kent Police Department and all of our available resources are being utilized towards this investigation. This does not appear to be a random incident at this time and we continue to follow all leads that present themselves,” said Melanie Robinson, Kent police spokeswoman.
Now the grieving parents of Malijah are preparing for what will be an emotionally gut-wrenching funeral service for the toddler. At a vigil held in memory of Malijah, her mother, clutching a book with the imprint from where Malijah had teethed on it, screamed in tearful agony, “They shot her. They shot my baby.”
The family is asking for public prayer and for the killers of this precious child to be caught and brought to justice.
