Mother of teenage sisters shot in north Harris Co. speaks out
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Shronda Lott says just to see her daughter's eyes open made her want to dance out of the hospital, but recovery for 16-year-old Nijua Cornelius is just the beginning.
"I want justice. I want to know who did this to them," said Lott.
Nijua was an innocent victim during the shooting at her north Harris County apartment complex Monday. Bullets severely damaged the left side of her face, with fragments reaching her brain.
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The standout student at Dekaney High School loves dance and dreams of becoming a doctor. Her mother described her as a "smart and intelligent young lady -- advanced student, very smart."
But when her mother got a phone call her daughter had been shot, she never imagined that another one of her daughters had also been hit.
Thirteen-year-old Kim Miles was struck in the thigh and hand and is standing by her big sister's bedside.
"Just think of it had it been your brother, sister, daughter or your son. How would you feel going through something like this? It's a hard pill to swallow," Miles said.
Crime scene tape can be seen hanging from a tree where police say a fight led to the shooting Monday. The violence also injured two boys who are out of the hospital.
A local pastor says the violence has to stop and the community step up.
"This is a good family. I believe they need the community to come together to rally and make sure there are no financial burdens," Pastor E. A. Deckard with Green House International Church said.
Nijua has many more surgeries and a long road to recovery ahead, but Lott hopes the path to justice is a short one.
"Come forward. Be honest. No one deserves it. No one," said Lott.
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