NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Little Piney Grove Baptist Church Pastor Rashad Cartwright was on the lookout for 43-year-old Katrina Wade for the Wednesday evening service Nov. 6, but he never saw her.
“Katrina had reached out to our deaconess because she hadn’t been in church for a little while and … the night before, I think she reached out to Katrina and didn’t get a response back,” Cartwright said, “[and] in the morning, I reached out to her and didn’t get a response back. Then to find out later that the reason there was no response is because of this tragedy.”
That tragedy unfolded on the evening of Nov. 6 in the 2700 block of Corprew Avenue. Someone opened fire on Wade and two other men, ages 24 and 43. The men suffered non life-threatening injuries. Wade was pronounced dead at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Norfolk Police said the case remains unsolved.
“[She’s] a woman who will light up the room,” Cartwright said. “She had a smile that all of our church would love to see her. … Any way she could serve or help, that was Katrina.”
The Virginia Beach church is helping with funeral expenses and a GoFundMe account has been set up to help with expenses.
“We’ve reached out to the family, of course, and our church is providing financial assistance as well,” Cartwright said. “You know, Katrina leaves grandchildren, a few grandchildren, and grandbabies, and I believe they should still have a quality of life, especially her grandbabies.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.