HOUSTON – It’s been a year and four months since 5-year-old Khamaya Dior Donelson was killed during a drive-by shooting in 2022. While there is still no arrest in the shooting, the Houston Police Department has announced an additional reward of $100,000 for information that will lead to an arrest of those involved.
Khamaya’s mother, Kristena Watters, and brother joined HPD, detectives, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Whalen to make a public plea for more information on those involved in the deadly shooting.
Khamaya was fatally shot after authorities said Watters picked up her and her 8-year-old brother from a 24-hour daycare. According to police, Watters was out late because she had to close the restaurant she worked at before picking up her children.
What happened
The shooting was reported at 12:50 a.m. in the 13500 block of Northborough Drive near Rushcreek Drive in the Greenspoint area.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Watters wanted to get her children ice cream before heading home.
Around 12:51 a.m., police said that a vehicle driven by the mother came to a stop at a stop sign when a silver four-door sedan with four suspects inside approached the vehicle.
One of the suspects leaned out of the rear driver’s side window and began firing multiple gunshots toward a food store, police said. Watters’ vehicle was caught in the crossfire, according to police. Khamaya was in the backseat of her mother’s vehicle with her 8-year-old brother when they were both struck by a single bullet.
Watters rushed both children to an area hospital where Khamaya later died. Her 8-year-old son survived after suffering a gunshot wound to the arm.
After further investigation, police said the mother’s vehicle was not the intended target.
A photo and surveillance video of the suspect’s vehicle was released on July 6, 2022, in hopes someone would recognize it.
A mother’s public plea
“I’m reliving this every day,” Watters said. “And it’s like everybody forgot about Khamaya, but Chief Finner called and said ‘Kristena, we ain’t forgot about Khamaya, you have to fight them intrusive thoughts.’”
She reflected on last year -- how she bought her daughter toys and shoes that she will never get to play with or wear. Kristena said after her daughter’s death, she wanted to give back to help deal with the loss.
“As the holidays draw closer and closer, and it’s a year and four months later, they forgot about my baby a week later,” she said, as she pleas for the public’s help in closing this case. “The holidays get closer and I am reminded every day.”
Kristena continued, “I feel like I’m begging a community to come together to save our babies.”
Anyone with information in this case is asked to call HPD Homicide at (713) 306-3800 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.
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