Friends and family gathered in Providence, Rhode Island, this weekend to celebrate the life of a 7-year-old girl who was shot in the city last month.
Loved ones of Ny'Eil Kelley Pires, many dressed in white and yellow, were at Central Congregational Church on Angell Street for her funeral on Saturday -- just one day after she would have turned 8 years old.
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Ny'Eil was a beautiful light who was deeply loved, according to her obituary. She will be missed by her loving family, including her mom, dad, 5-year-old brother Iverson and newborn brother Bryson.
Her favorite thing to do was to make funny videos with her brothers and parents, Ny'Eil's obituary revealed. She also enjoyed dancing, laughing and playing with her family and friends.
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"What made her happiest was being a big sister to her brothers. They were her best friends," her obituary read. "Ny’Eil brought a tremendous amount of love joy and happiness to the family."
Following the funeral service Saturday, friends and family attended Ny'Eil's burial at Swan Point Cemetery.
"It’s just sad, it’s difficult," Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez told NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR. "This is a village, this is a community, we love this city and this is hard."
"It was a beautiful celebration of a life lost too soon, but it remains a shocking event in our city," Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told WJAR. "We’re looking at ways to further invest in violence prevention strategies, violence intervention strategies."
The 7-year-old was shot in Providence on Aug. 29. According to NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR, Ny’Eil was sitting in her family's car on Florence Street with one of her little brothers and her father when she was shot. Ny’Eil, who investigators have said wasn’t the intended target, succumbed to her injuries several days later at Hasbro Children's Hospital on Sept. 2.
Two men are facing murder charges in Ny'Eil's shooting death. They were ordered held without bail in Providence District Court in early September.
