6-year-old girl fatally shot in Dallas was sister of recent homicide victim, officials say

The 6-year-old girl who died after a shooting Wednesday in Old East Dallas was the sister of a teen who was fatally shot late last month, law enforcement officials confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.

Aylayna Ross was shot about 2:40 p.m. at a townhome in the 2100 block of North Fitzhugh Avenue, near Fuqua Street. She was pronounced dead at 3:21 p.m., according to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The law enforcement officials said Aylayna was the sibling of 14-year-old Ah’bralen Rider, who was fatally shot Dec. 29 in Oak Lawn. Officers found Rider and another 14-year-old boy shot in the 3100 block of Harry Hines Boulevard.

The second teen was expected to recover from his injuries, and a 16-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, faces one count each of manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the shooting.

Family of the deceased could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Detectives determined the handgun used in Aylayna’s death was left unsecured in the townhome and that two adults and two other juveniles were inside the home when the shooting occurred, police said.

As of Thursday afternoon, police said it was “unknown how the child was shot.” Law enforcement officials told The News that investigators conducted interviews at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center after the shooting and are testing gunshot residue to understand what occurred.

Damariya Sowels, 19, was detained hours after the shooting and booked into the Dallas County jail on a charge of tampering with physical evidence, records show.

According to an arrest-warrant affidavit, Sowels admitted he brought two guns into the townhome Tuesday and left one lying on top of a PlayStation in a third-floor bedroom.

After the shooting, police wrote, Sowels went into the bedroom and put both guns in a backpack. He hid the backpack in the garage before police arrived, the affidavit said, where it was later found by crime scene personnel.

Sowels is also facing unrelated charges of evading arrest or detention and unlawful carrying of a weapon, jail records show.

He remained in custody Thursday, with bail set at $104,000. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.

The investigation is ongoing.