Mother of 2-year-old shot and killed in Durham speaks out

ONLY on WRAL a mother of a 2-year-old shot and killed in Durham is speaking out.

The child, Manariah, was killed in a drive-by shooting last week on Cornwallis Road. Her mother, 20-year-old Shycresha Spears, was grazed by a bullet during the incident.

Monday night, police are searching for the person who fired the deadly shots and are accepting tips from the public.

Manariah, was a toddler with a big smile and an even bigger personality, brought joy to everyone around her.

“She was a happy person when she was born to the world she was just happy,” said Shycresha Spears, Manariah’s mother.

However on June 20, just after 8 pm, a gunman ended her life.

Durham police report that shots were fired at the Campus Crossings apartments along East Cornwallis Road.

A 22-year-old man was struck, Manariah’s mother was grazed by a bullet, and the 2-year-old was fatally injured.

She was rushed to the hospital, but died eight days later.

“I’m doing okay. I’m trying to be strong for my three-year-old,” Spears said.

Spears shared how she is coping day to day.

“My family and my friends and memories of her,” she said.

While holding on to those memories, she hopes to give her daughter a proper burial. The family has started a GoFundMe account to help with expenses as Spears copes with the loss.

“I just pray to God can you help me through this hard time,” Spears said.

Spears says she is waiting for the autopsy results before planning the funeral.

“Whoever did it, I just hope guilt eats you up inside-out,” she said. “You can’t eat or sleep without thinking about her. Come forward and do what you need to do.”