Rakylah Lenei Porter- Albritton was 19 when she was shot on May 10, 2024. Authorities say the shooting happened in the 1200 block of Maple Street in Washington, North Carolina; she was taken by private vehicle to ECU Health Beaufort Hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper chest and died shortly after arrival. Responders first came to a shooting on Pontiac Drive about 7:30 p.m., and investigators later located the scene on Maple Street.

A juvenile petition charging a 17-year-old male with murder was issued on June 11, and the suspect was taken into custody on June 13 and placed in juvenile detention pending court proceedings. Funeral services were held May 24 at Kingdom Life Community Church, with burial at Cobb Family Cemetery; public visitation was May 23 and the family received friends at the grandmother Ms. Cleo Porter’s home in Washington. The community has raised concerns about youth violence and safety in the wake of her death.

If anyone has information about the shooting or knew Rakylah, please come forward to help the ongoing case.