Death a ‘wake-up call’

Dan Kulin

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003 | 11:07 a.m.

The death of a teenage girl, an innocent bystander in what police say was possibly a gang- or drug-related shootout, should force a generation of youngsters in her neighborhood to recognize the danger in their city, a community leader said.

Perhaps Tanisha Turner's Nov. 20 death helped lead dozens of others to commit to their faith and be baptized during her funeral on Monday, a family friend said.

Maybe the loss of a girl with the big bright smile will awaken business and political leaders to the plight of her neighborhood, a community activist said. Already, a group of business owners in that area has pledged $20,000 to bolster the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

But while many looked for something positive to come from Tanisha's death, 11-year-old Brionne Martin couldn't see any lesson in her friend's death.

"It's sad. It's just too sad," said Brionne, whose mother let her miss school to attend Tanisha's funeral.

Brionne's mother, Shawanza Martin, said, "It's a life lesson. Things can happen real quick and fast. And when it gets dark you need to get inside."

About 500 friends and family attended Turner's funeral at Greater Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church, just blocks from where she was killed while walking home two weeks earlier. Police said Turner was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between people in a car and a group on the sidewalk.

Turner's aunt Shelia Turner said that while she would love for something good to come out of her niece's death, at this point the family just wants the person responsible for killing the young teen to be caught.

"That's very important. He needs to pay for what he did," Shelia Turner said.

But while some family friends and community activists said the fear of retaliation will keep witnesses from going to the police, a group of area business owners hope increasing the reward for information about the crime will lead to a break in the case.

As of Monday afternoon, police had made no arrests and were still looking for a white 1980s-model Chrysler New Yorker believed to have been involved in the shooting.

A citizen group that works with Metro Police was planning to announce this morning that the Bolden Area Command Citizen/Police Advisory Committee will offer $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. This reward is on top of the $2,000 reward usually offered by CrimeStoppers.

The announcement was scheduled for 10 a.m. today in front of the driveway on the 1900 block of Hassell Avenue where Turner died. Police are asking that anyone with information about the crime contact either the North Las Vegas Police at 633-9111 or call CrimeStoppers at 385-5555.

Louis Conner, owner of the Seven Seas Restaurant and Lounge and chairman of a committee of business owners working with Metro, said he hopes the larger reward will be enough to get a witness to come forward.

"So many people were around to see the killing but won't step forward because they are afraid for their own lives," Conner said. "Now they will have enough to relocate themselves and their family."

Tanisha's aunt hopes the larger reward will cause at least one of witnesses to give information to the police.

"There's no way somebody didn't see it; it was 5:30 in the afternoon," Shiela Turner said after the funeral Monday.

During the funeral, Tanisha Turner was remembered for her big, bright smile, and as someone who liked to braid hair, sing, draw and play basketball.

"There was always a smile on her face," Shawanza Martin said.

The Rev. Leon Johnson told Turner's friends and family that while they may not understand why Turner died, it was part of God's plan.

"Our lives are in God's hands. We don't always understand but I trust him," Johnson said.

Johnson noted that Turner had been baptized on Oct. 17, just weeks before her death. He said that while Turner may not have fully understood everything about religion when she was baptized, she wanted to do it, and trusted in God.

Turner was baptized during the funeral of an uncle who died of cancer, and during her own funeral, about 50 people went to the altar for their baptisms.

DeWayne McCoy, 30, a family friend who sang at the funeral, said he was glad to hear that Turner had found Christ and was baptized before she died.

"And maybe she died so all these other people could be saved," McCoy said.

McCoy's brother Tyrone McCoy, 26, was one of those who were baptized during the funeral.

"It just seems like I had a message. I just had a feeling," he said.

Outside the church, community activist Ramont Williams said he's committed to making Turner's death a turning point for the neighborhood. He said there needs to be more funding for mentoring and job programs, and less time spent holding meetings to discuss crime problems.

Toni Mims, community program director at the nearby Buena Vista Springs Community Center, also said there needs to be more emphasis on community-based programs for youth.

"I don't know what it will take," Mims said. "But this death serves as a wake-up call for the community."

If nothing else, Mims said Turner's death shows the other children who played with her at the community center that the streets they live and play on can be dangerous.

"They didn't see it up close, so they thought it was a joke," Mims said. "But now they see someone close to them passing away, and in a violent death."

Turner's death came a little more than a year after another girl was killed by gunfire intended for someone else. Genesis Gonzalez, 9, was shot in the courtyard of her apartment complex in September 2002.

In that case, jurors appeared to try to send a message that the community would deal harshly with gang members who accidentally kill children.

Last month Pascual Lozano was found guilty of capital murder in Genesis's killing, and he was sentenced to death. Lozano's attorneys have asked for a new trial.