Iyana Ussery GoFundMe: Mom launches fundraiser as 14-year-old Washington teen dies in drive-by shooting

On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, 14-year-old Iyana Ussery was shot and killed by two 17-year-old boys in Tacoma, Washington. The incident took place when she was sitting in the passenger seat of her mother's Dodge Magnum with her friends.

According to her mother Kelsey Ussery, Iyana had driven to a nearby convenience store to buy snacks with her friends. On her way back, she was fatally shot and could not be revived by the medics.

According to one of the witnesses present at the scene of the shooting, Iyana Ussery was unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was an innocent victim of gang-related violence, said the witness. It is believed that the shooting occurred due to a feud between the shooter and one of the boys in the Dodge regarding rival gang membership.

The bereaved family described Ussery as a peacemaker. Her mother said:

"She was the glue that held the family together."

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by Ussery's mother to help cover the funeral costs.

---

Iyana Ussery murder case explored: Innocent bystander dies in suspected gang violence

On Thursday, July 7, one of the suspected shooters was arrested by the Tacoma Police Department. According to police, the second suspect turned himself in a couple of hours later.

Jeremiah Anthony Greg Averitt and Christopher Anthony P. Felizardo, both 17, were charged with second-degree murder, along with two counts of first-degree assault, drive-by shooting, and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm by the Pierce County Superior Court.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Wagner cited her concerns regarding the "recklessness" of the actions and requested $1 million bail for both of them, which was granted by Superior Court Judge Edmund Murphy.

The very public shooting not only killed Ussery, but put multiple bystanders at risk. As alleged by a food joint from across the convenience store, the gunshots shattered multiple windows. The firearms used in the shooting are yet to be recovered by the police, she added.

Lisa Wagner further added:

"I’m also concerned about Mr. Averitt because the deceased victim’s mother has noted that she had seen this defendant in this neighborhood armed and shooting a firearm off. Again, that's just a recklessness that I think is the hallmark of what we're seeing here."

The hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, still reeling from the tragedy that cost Iyana Ussery her life, came together on Thursday, July 7, to hold a peace walk in honor of the girl who was gone too soon.

---

Dozens of residents have demanded an end to this plague of thoughtless gun violence which has claimed hundreds of lives in 2022 alone. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been over 320 mass shootings in America this year, as of July 9, 2022.