Akira Marie Waters was 16 when she was shot and killed on November 7, 2016, in a home in Arnold, New Kensington, Pennsylvania. She had been visiting her 19-year-old boyfriend, Brandon Jackson, at his residence when a small black semi-automatic handgun discharged. According to Aaron Waters, Akira’s father, the weapon went off while those present were allegedly playing with the gun; Jackson told police that Akira was walking behind 17-year-old Cashaan Dink Williams as Williams descended basement steps when the shot occurred.

Williams turned himself in the day after the shooting and was charged with criminal homicide; he was later tried as an adult. He has been in custody since May 2017 and his trial has been postponed multiple times, with defense motions seeking additional time for pretrial release raised in 2020. Akira was a junior at Kiski Area High School, employed at Dunkin Donuts in Murrysville, and described by her father as a beautiful, sweet girl who wanted to run her own beauty shop.

Does anyone have information about the night of November 7, 2016, or knew Akira and can help clarify what happened?