Family members said that a 63-year-old Florida woman was fatally shot after a dispute over a dog.
Danette Simmons was hit by gunshots fired into her house in Miami Gardens on April 5.
Family members said that Simmons’s dog wandered into a neighbor’s yard.
When the neighbor returned the canine to Simmons, strangers showed up saying the dog, a Yorkshire terrier named Chase, belonged to them, according to relatives.
Family Blames Dog Dispute After 63-Year-Old #MiamiGardens Woman Fatally Shot In Her Home https://t.co/zARV4EZVfT
— Amanda Plasencia (@AmandaNBC6) April 5, 2019
Simmons’s granddaughter told WLPG that Simmons was shot in the head after going back inside the house following the argument.
“She didn’t deserve to die, to be shot in her own house,” the victim’s friend, Rose Williams, said.
“She didn’t deserve this,” another friend told WSVN. “Somebody just takes your life over a dog? Oh, come on, man.”
“To shoot her about a dog, that just don’t sit right by me. It’s crazy. My auntie loved everyone,” the victim’s niece, Tyquandra Simmons, added to NBC 6.
Miami Gardens police confirmed the shooting happened but did not release Simmons name nor release any information about the suspected motive.
Dozens gather for #vigil at home in #Miami where #grandmother was shot, #killed https://t.co/3jvHKE5zY4
— Travelaviator (@Travelaviator) April 7, 2019
Remembrances
Shortly after the death, loved ones remembered Simmons.
“Broken, like I was just stuck. Shocked,” Gariyuena Watts, a friend of Simmons, told WSVN. “She was a sweet, helpful, loving person. She cared about everybody, she didn’t mess with nobody. She just was loving.”
“My auntie had a good heart, no matter what. My auntie loved everybody, everybody,” Tyquandra Simmons added.
Dozens gathered outside Simmons’s home on Saturday to remember her.
“She played a big role in everybody’s life and it is sad. It’s sad,” Johndolyn Hamilton, granddaughter of the victim, told WLPG. “This is her dog, so how can you take someone’s life over their stuff? I just don’t understand.”
“She was a woman of God first. She was an auntie, grandma, stepmom, friend,” added Portia Williams, a cousin of the family.
Hamilton urged whoever fired the shots to turn themselves in.
Police said anyone with information should call Miami Gardens Detective Christopher Pacheco at 305-474-1583 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. People can also submit tips online at www.crimestoppersmiami.com.
Crime Statistics
Crime declined in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017, the FBI said in February. Preliminary statistics show nearly all offenses in the violent crime category declined. Robbery offenses decreased 12.5 percent, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses decreased 6.7 percent, and aggravated assault offenses declined 2 percent, the agency said. Rapes, however, increased by 0.6 percent.
When comparing data from the first six months of 2018 with the first six months of 2017, all property crime categories showed a decrease. Burglaries were down 12.7 percent, larceny-thefts decreased 6.3 percent, and motor vehicle thefts declined 3.3 percent. The full 2018 crime report will be released later this year.
The FBI previously said that both violent crime and property crime decreased in 2017, the last year that full statistics are available for, compared to 2016. Overall violent crime decreased 0.2 percent from 2016 to 2017, while property crime decreased 3 percent during that time, the agency said in September 2018, releasing data from the previous year.
“There were more than 1.2 million violent crimes reported to UCR nationwide in 2017. There was a 0.7 percent decrease in murders and a 4 percent decrease in robberies from 2016 to 2017. Aggravated assaults increased by 1 percent in 2017. The FBI began collecting data solely on an updated rape definition last year, and 135,755 rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2017,” the FBI stated.
“The report also showed there were more than 7.7 million property crimes last year. Burglaries decreased 7.6 percent and larceny-thefts decreased by 2.2 percent. Motor vehicle thefts increased by 0.8 percent from 2016 to 2017.”
The figures were compiled from more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies around the United States that submitted their crime data to the FBI.