Girl dies of gang’s stray shot
A 12yearold Long Island girl who was shot in the head by a stray bullet has died, authorities said Sunday.
Dejah Joyner was standing in her family’s living room in Hempstead on Friday when she was hit by a bullet meant for a gangbanger living in the apartment upstairs from her family, according to Nassau County police. She died at Winthrop Hospital at around 7 p.m. Saturday.
The child’s distraught father clutched a Hello Kitty doll as he and his wife attended a vigil for their daughter Sunday at Antioch Baptist Church, where Dejah attended Bible school.
The tearful couple had to leave halfway through because they couldn’t take the pain, friends said.
Pastor Joseph Brown told the 200 mourners that the family needs justice.
“You know who you are, and you know who did it, so you need to speak up,” he said. Priscilla DeGregory
and Daniel Prendergast