PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — For the first time, we’re hearing from the mother of a 7-year-old girl who died from her injuries after she was shot in Portsmouth this month.
Mylani Everett died on Christmas Eve, two days after someone opened fire on the car she was in.
The deadly shooting happened near Truxton Avenue and Portsmouth Boulevard Dec. 22.
Police have arrested and charged Antonyo Taylor, Avery Setzer and Trevon Avery for the crime.
10 On Your Side spoke with Mylani’s mother about this devastating loss.
Phyllis Everett said her heart is broken without her little girl, but she’s trying to stay strong for her other daughter.
She’s speaking out so that others might think twice before turning to gun violence.
“It feels like somebody pinned a ton of bricks on my heart,” Everett said.
It’s an unimaginable grief Everett never thought she’d have to go through.
“They changed her sister’s life and my life forever,” she said.
Everett’s nightmare began last week. She said she and her daughters were coming back from a shopping trip when bullets came through their car, hitting Mylani.
“When they transported her to [the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters], I was right there by her side holding her hand, just hoping that she would squeeze my hand back,” Everett said.
Mylani died two days later.
“It still seem unreal. I want my baby to call my phone and say ‘hi, come and get me from grandma’s house. I’m ready to come home,’ and I’ll never get that phone call,” Everett said.
Through incredible strength, Everett shared photos and memories of her little girl with 10 On Your Side.
“She was a bright joy person, like her personality was everything,” she said. “Her smile, her personality, her little screechy voice. It’s unforgettable.”
We’re told the second-grader also loved joking around with her big sister and playing outside with her dog.
With Mylani’s memory in a frame and her other child by her side, Everett hopes sharing her pain will spark change.
“Shouldn’t no mother, no father, no parent endure this pain due to gun violence,” she said. “It’s time to speak up and it’s time to put the guns down and it has to stop. It has to.”
Mylani will be laid to rest this weekend.
