Sarayah Redmond: 19-Year-Old California Woman Fatally Shot At Apartment
19-year-old Sarayah Redmond was fatally shot on September 25, 2020 around 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in Natomas, California outside Sacramento.
Sarayah Redmond had big dreams, her mother said.
“She had a contagious laughter,” a GoFundMe account set up by her family reads. “Sarayah’s life was just beginning. She was finding her own way and dreamed of becoming a cosmetologist.”
But like so many other young black women in America, her dream was cut short by senseless violence.
The 19-year-old was fatally shot on September 25, 2020 around 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in Natomas, California outside Sacramento.
When officers arrived in response to the shooting, they found Redmond fighting to stay alive. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Another gunshot victim -- a male friend of Sarayah’s -- survived his injuries.
Since that time, Sarayah’s mother, Jenifer Redmond, 51, has been determined to find her daughter’s killer.
“It’s a nightmare because what happened to my daughter was horrible, who knows what they have done to somebody else,” she told KOVR TV. “It’s horrible that they are still out there living their life, being able to do whatever they want and my daughter is not here.”
Months after the fatal shooting, Sacramento Police Force released video footage of the apartment complex in hopes that the public could help identify four men shown in the video.
“Our detectives have been working for the last six months to identify those responsible for this shooting,” said Sacramento Police Department North Area Captain Steve Oliveira. “We are hoping that by releasing this surveillance footage somebody will come forward with information that can ultimately bring closure to Sarayah’s family and friends.”
Still, Sarayah’s mother says all she knows for sure is that the young people thee with her daughter that night know more than what has been revealed.
“I don’t think they came there for her, I think it was something else and I just hate that she was caught in the middle of it,” she was quoted as saying.
Nevertheless, Redmond says she remains hopeful that the case will be solved and the killer will be identified and arrested.
“It’s very hard, it’s not what I want to do, buts it’s what I have to do,” Redmond told the TV station. “I believe my daughter will get justice, I believe it’s just a matter of time,” she said.
According to a news release from the Sacramento Police Department, when officers arrived upon the scene responding to a shots fired call on September 25, 2020, “they located two adult victims, one male and one female, who had sustained gunshot wounds. After being transported to a hospital the female victim, later identified as 19-year-old Sarayah Redmond, died from her injuries. The male victim survived his injuries.”
Since then the Sacramento PD has been seeking any witnesses with information regarding this shooting to contact the dispatch center at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app.