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Mother recalls last moments of 10-year-old girl shot dead by four masked hoodlums who opened fire in DC apartment complex

Authorities announced Wednesday they have recovered a car that was used in a shooting that left 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson dead and four adults wounded in Northeast Washington
UPDATED MAR 18, 2020
(Source:Getty Images)
(Source:Getty Images)

In a heart-rending interview, the mother of a 10-year-old who was killed in a shootout outside her DC residence, described her daughter's last moments. 

Makiyah Wilson's mother, Donetta, revealed that her daughter's last words were telling her to "calm down" and that her wound was "burning."

According to reports, on Monday, four suspects jumped out of a black sedan and opened fire in all directions in the courtyard of a Northeast DC apartment complex. It was then that Makiyah caught one of the bullets, just days after her 10th birthday.

According to a GoFundMe page, Donnetta was inside her apartment when Makiyah came out of a pool and saw an ice cream truck. But just as she started walking towards the truck, she was shot in the chest, the website reads.


In an emotional interview with NBC4 on Wednesday, the devastated mother recounted her daughter's last breaths.

"I held my baby. The whole time she was saying: 'Mommy calm down. It's burning.' She was trying to get me to be calm."

"When she passed and took her last breath she was laying right there in front of her doorway. I saw blood, I saw my baby. I panicked. I don't really know what to do at this point."

Makiyah died just minutes after getting shot, Donnetta said.

The traumatized mother described her daughter as a girl who loved music, video games and spending time with her siblings.

"This happened to my baby,” said Makiyah’s mother. “This just hurt me so bad. It hurt me because my baby can’t live and see her life. She wanted to do stuff. She wanted to do some stuff.”


That said, her 18-year-old sister was shot in the arm. She was later arrested after her release from the hospital on an unrelated charge when police discovered that she was wanted on a parole violation in Virginia, family members said.

Makiyah's elder sister broke down in tears as she stood in front of the judge, who told her she was sorry for her loss.

Law enforcement authorities reported that during Monday's shooting, three other men were also injured.

"Makiyah, she was special," Pandora Wilson, a relative of the deceased, told NBC. "She loved football; she loved all kinds of sports." 

She added: "It's so hard to put it in words because it don't feel real. It's so senseless."

According to law enforcement in DC, a black four-door Infiniti, with a missing rear bumper, pulled into the courtyard of the Clay Terrace Apartments around 8 pm on Monday.


Four hoodlums are seen jumping out of the vehicle and firing several shots in a surveillance footage released by the police. After wreaking havoc, they quickly jump back into the car and dash away.

According to law enforcement, the suspects fired anywhere between 50 to 70 shots. They also revealed that there were 15 to 20 people in the courtyard at the time.

Police are still looking for the masked men after the getaway car was located on Brooks Drive in the Suitland/District Heights area in Prince George's County Wednesday morning.

DC Police Assistant Chief Chanel Dickerson said, "Cowards showed up on our streets in DC and used illegal firearms to murder a young, precious little girl." 

In a conversation with Fox News, DC Councilmember Vincent Gray said that the shooting could be some type of retaliation between rival gangs. However, authorities are yet to find out the reason behind the firing.

"They probably don't even know who they killed until the saw the news," Gray said.

"These cowards need to be held accountable for their actions because when you sign up for the streets, this is what happens – they come with certain rules and guidelines,” said Mike D’Angelo, Makiyah’s uncle. “Learn the rules and the guidelines of the streets. If you get out here, you see kids, you see parents, you see mothers out here, buck a U-turn and come back if that's what you got in your heart to do.”


Having said that, little Makiyah had just recently celebrated her birthday after completing the fourth grade, her bereaved family members said.

Daily Mail obtained photos from her birthday party, with Makiyah wearing a neon tutu, brightly colored socks, and a bright pink top. She is seen smiling at the camera and shooting her guests with a pink water gun in one of the videos from the event, shared by her grandmother.

In the video, her grandmother says: "Let's take this so when you get older we can show the world what you looked like."

But now, all the family wants is to have her murderers be held accountable.

"God's gonna see that they get their justice. They are gonna have to answer for it, whether it's down here or up there," Donnetta told Fox.   

Friends and well-wishers in the neighborhood mourned the loss of young Makiyah and released balloons into the air as they called for justice.

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