Aja David (AD) and Kai Lee Harriot (KLH)
AD: That night it was around the fourth of July so it was hot. You hear fireworks, and all a sudden that was the sound, although it was different. It was a gunshot. Someone was shooting not at us but in our direction. I just was thinking about my little sister and I grabbed her and we went inside and I laid her down on the ground. And when I turned her to the side, I saw a ring of blood just in the center of, of her back. It had soaked its way into the jacket that I had put on her. And um, she just said, “I want mommy.” And I said, you know I love you right”? At fourteen it was drilled in me, like that’s your family you don’t let anything happen to your sisters.
KLH: Yeah. I don’t really remember anything. But, I was paralyzed and a few years later I found a card that you wrote me when I was in the hospital. And It was a card with you blaming yourself. And how you, you were sorry that you didn’t protect me. For you to blame yourself there’s no need for that. Like, sometimes I blame myself like you know, “You’re a three year old. You should have been asleep. Like, what are you doing up?” But you have to realize that it wasn’t your fault.
AD: Well I don’t know, I think when I was younger when I blamed myself, but now I understand that I’m not to blame. You know, I was only 14 and you’re now the age that I was when that happened to our family.
KLH: You know, since that day we’ve always had a tight bond, and I feel as if I’m your guardian angel and you’re mine.
WEB EXTRA
Kai Leigh Harriott (KH) and Tonya David (TD)
KLH: When I got on stand to say what I had to say, I mean it was very intense ’cause I was very little and everybody was waiting for what I had to say. But I said um, ”Anthony Warren, what you did to me was wrong, but I still forgive you.”
TD: And instead of facing the judge, he turned behind him and he spoke directly to us. He said, ”Miss David, when I look at Kai, I see my own daughter.” I said, ”You know what?” and I put my hand out to shake his hand, and he pulled me in for a hug.
