Though authorities have been slow to confirm the details of a fatal shooting on Christmas Eve, a southwest Atlanta community has spent the past week mourning the 18-year-old standout student-athlete who was killed.
Sekya Smith, a senior at Carver Early College high school, was identified by her family and school as the victim of a suspected drive-by shooting at a home on Smith Street the evening of Dec. 24. Smith was a basketball player at Carver who planned to continue her athletic career at Albany State University after graduating in May, friends told Channel 2 Action News.
Smith was shot just before 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, according to Atlanta police. Officers found the teenager already dead at the scene.
A week later, police have not provided any further information about the shooting and said the incident report is not complete and cannot be released. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has not responded to multiple requests to confirm the victim’s identity. Police have not said if any suspects have been identified or arrests made.
On Friday, a large group gathered at Pittman Park to hold a candlelight vigil for Smith. They spelled her name in lights and shared memories of her friendly, outgoing nature and prowess on the basketball court.
The vigil was mirrored online by a virtual outpouring of support from Smith’s immediate and extended communities.
“We love you and we’ll miss you,” the official Carver athletics page posted on social media.
Carver’s football coach, Darren Myles, said he would miss Smith’s smile and greetings each time they passed in the school halls. Rival school district DeKalb County said Smith was a “bright light taken too soon.”
Smith’s mother, Brittany Harp, created a GoFundMe page to help cover her daughter’s funeral expenses.
“She didn’t deserve this at all,” Harp wrote. “As her mother, I want to make sure she is put to rest very well.”
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