Nivia Danner: 14-Year-Old Girl Shot To Death In North Carolina

Nivia Danner, 14, lost her life on Tuesday, September 15, 2021, after being fatally shot in the parking lot of a bail bonding business.

Nivia Danner, 14, loved to use her voice in praise and was in a youth ministry, her pastor told local media in Gastonia, North Carolina.

“She was able to express herself so much with her talents and music; she sang for weddings she sang for both my grandmothers’ funerals,” her mother Deandura Danner, told MSN.

The girl was also a fierce protector of her twin brother, her mother said.

Nivia lost her life on Tuesday, September 15, 2021, after being fatally shot in the parking lot of a bail bonding business.

Police have arrested 19-year-old Santonio Azanier Eskridge in connection with the shooting. Eskridge is charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Authorities say that Nivia was driven to the bail bonding business by Eskridge. He is accused of allegedly shooting her there for reasons that have not been explained, according to WBTV.

The victim’s mother, who knows the suspect, says the shooting was unintentional.

“A gun...who plays with that,” Danner told MSN. “I understand accidents can happen and I really feel this was a tragic accident given everyone knew this guy, including my daughter.”

The owners of the business, Rodgers Bail Bonding, posted on Facebook about the fatal shooting.and expressed their condolences.

““On September 14, 2021, tragically a young girl’s life was taken from her in a violent killing at our family-owned business,” Mekoh Rodgers said in a Facebook post hours after the shooting. “Our hearts go out to all of her loved ones and everyone she touched in this community.”

The shooting happened at a business on North Chester Street around 1:18 p.m. Tuesday. Gastonia police said the initial call was for a medical emergency.