Kristena Watters received Khamaya's ashes this week, but admits she's still having difficulty accepting her daughter's loss.
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"I have my baby ... her ashes," Watters said. "They called me and left me a voicemail and said, 'Khamaya is ready. You can come pick her up.' I guess somewhere in my fairytale mind, I thought I was going to pick up a little girl."
SEE ALSO: Mother identifies 5-year-old killed in drive-by shooting in north Houston
Watters was supposed to take her two kids to Six Flags last month for her son, who was turning 8 years old.
"(Khamaya) wasn't tall enough when she went to the carnival, so we were going to get platform sandals," Watters recalled while smiling.
Instead, she was planning her daughter's funeral.
On July 3, at about 1 a.m., Watters had picked up her kids from daycare after working the late shift at a restaurant. They were at a stop sign on Northborough Drive when bullets flew from a silver 1999 Honda Accord, police said. The shooter is still at large, and the reward for information leading to an arrest has been increased to $50,000.
"It just hurts because there's someone sleeping at night out there peacefully, maybe not peacefully because I'm sure after he watched the news and said, 'Oh, I killed a little girl,'" Watters said.
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SEE ALSO: Reward increased to $50K for information in deadly drive-by shooting of 5-year-old
Unfortunately, Watters isn't alone. Thirty-two kids younger than 18 years old have been shot and killed so far in 2022, according to the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office's most recent data.
Dozens of grieving families in our area have been in the same position, and many still await justice for their kids killed by gun violence.
"I try not to lose faith every day," Watters said. "They say God has a plan. There's a reason for everything."
If you have any information concerning this case, you're urged to contact the FBI's Houston Field Office at (713) 693-5000, or you can call Crime Stoppers and stay anonymous at 713-222-TIPS (8477)
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