#Uncle of dead North Carolina girl says alleged killer targeted wrong car

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Shaquille Marshon Francis; Aaliyah Norris
Forest City Police Department; Facebook

An uncle of a 7-year-old North Carolina girl who was fatally shot thinks her alleged killer — released from jail just three hours before — targeted the wrong vehicle.

Shaquille Marshon Francis, 26, is accused of firing the shot that struck Aaliyah Norris in the head Tuesday as she sat in a car in Forest City.

“Today my niece Aaliyah Grace Norris was shot and is in critical condition in Spartanburg hospital. This is something that has broke my heart because they shot into the wrong car,” LJ Miller wrote on Facebook, the Daily Mail reported.

“He shot at the wrong car, it was a car that’s was full of kids. Now look a sweet beautiful little girl that done nothing wrong got shot because of stupid people with guns.”

A family friend also echoed Miller’s thoughts.

“A case of mistaken identity has cost an innocent child her life.. it has cost a mother her child, a grandfather his princess, a little girl and a little boy their sister.. a father his daughter.. Aunts and uncles their Niece.. a case of mistaken identity has caused a war,” Bethany Mae wrote on Facebook.

Aaliyah died Thursday, two days after the shooting.

Community members tipped off police that Francis, of Forest City, was the suspect. He was arrested Wednesday.

Francis had been released from jail just three hours before he allegedly shot Aaliyah, Forest City Police Chief Chris LeRoy told WLOS. He was reportedly arrested that day for assault by pointing a gun, according to the Daily Mail, citing arrest records from Rutherford County.