New at 5, a mother shot and killed trying to protect
her son. Investigators say a convicted felon did this.
Now he's off the streets facing a murder charge. Our
Gina Esposito spoke to the woman's family about how
she'll be remembered.
Well, the weather was nice last night, so I'm told a
lot of kids were playing outside when those shots rang
out. Police say a bullet took the life of a young
mother who was trying to protect her son. She should
still be here with her children.
She this shouldn't have happened to her. Michelle
Smith had tears in her eyes while talking about her
daughter Shanika Smith. Police say the mother of two
was an innocent bystander when she was shot and killed
Wednesday night at her Oak Hill apartment in Wadesboro.
I heard that she was not the intended target.
Waynesboro police say it started as a domestic assault
between another woman and Keon Richardson around 8:30
p.m. Richardson, they say, fired multiple shots,
hitting Shaneka while trying to get to her 4-year-old
son. Today we saw bullet holes in the. stairs. Police,
the Anson County Sheriff's Office and FBI work to
track down Richardson. He's pictured here in handcuffs
in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, where he was
arrested early Thursday afternoon. You're a monster to
sit here and pull out a gun with kids around and shoot
like that somebody like that. Shanika's family tells
me she had a heart of gold and didn't deserve this.
They say she'll be remembered as a loving person,
outgoing, smart. And she loved her kids. She really
loved her kids. She just enjoyed her family and being
around, you know, her family, and it's sad that we, we
lost her like this. Police say the woman involved in
the domestic situation was assaulted by the suspect
prior to the shooting and has minor injuries. Police
say the suspect did not live at this apartment complex
in Wadesboro, Gina Esposito, channel on with his news.