Essence Thomas was 17 when she died of a gunshot wound to the head on November 4, 2014. Emergency responders found her in the 400 block of Weston Street in Portsmouth, Virginia, around 12:41 p.m.; she was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and pronounced legally dead at 6:29 p.m.

According to the investigation, Essence had been inside a home with three other juveniles when a firearm was discharged. Authorities say a 16-year-old boy fired the shot; his name has not been released because of his age. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, with the case to move through the juvenile justice system. Essence’s family described her as generous, talented, a dancer and singer who hoped to finish high school early and join the service. Her grandparents said the family kept her on life support so her organs and tissues could be donated.

Does anyone who knew Essence or was in that neighborhood on November 4, 2014 have information that could help clarify what happened inside the home?