VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Megan Schofield was one of quite a few people at Wednesday's Citizens' Advisory Committee meeting in Virginia Beach's 2nd Police Precinct wanting to know what happened to Deshayla Harris nearly one year ago.
“We knew that this is a space that has some sort of liaisons with the community and ask our questions,” Schofield said.
Harris's case has been getting a lot of attention, not only with the one-year anniversary of the Oceanfront shooting coming up, but also with new details News 3’s Investigative team has uncovered in this shooting.
This includes a car being towed for forensic testing months after the shooting.
Documents reveal that police believed the blue Toyota contained evidence important to Deshayla's murder.
Jay Boone was at Wednesday’s meeting representing the Harris family.
“I hope that whatever evidence you have encountered will lead us to the direction of justice to Deshayla,” Boone told News 3. “From the beginning, all of us have just been wondering hoping just for some results. The family just wants some form of closure.”
Harris’s mother, Elisheba Harris, recently spoke about her daughter’s death before Virginia Beach City Council members.
“I can’t heal yet. I probably won’t heal yet until we get justice, and we’re still fighting for that,” Elisheba Harris said. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life - is walk every day and get up every day knowing my child is not coming home. I will never talk to her again, never see her again.”
Wednesday’s meeting offered an opportunity for community members and agencies to talk about many things, including the investigation and safety at the Oceanfront.
“The cameras they’ve [police] put up are an effort to assist in making the Oceanfront safer,” Connie Agresti, president of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee in the 2nd Police Precinct said during the meeting. “You can’t go back and undo, unfortunately, the tragic loss of life. I, like you, would like to see, and I’m sure everyone in the police department would like to see an answer.”
Mark Stevens hopes to work with Boone and Schofield to come up with solutions.
“I took it personally when it happened. It’s two blocks from my house, and I don’t like our kids dying,” Stevens said. “I hope these people contact me - the groups that were here tonight - so we can sit down and try to really come up with a plan; bring people together; bring everybody together for the table.”
Boone told News 3 a memorial event is planned for 7 p.m. on March 26, the one-year anniversary of the shooting, at 19th and 20th Streets.
