Family of Camay Mitchell De Silva, Delaware State shooting victim, speaks out: "We want her name to live on"
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) – Four days after the unthinkable happened, the family of Camay Mitchell De Silva came together to speak out.
The 18-year-old Concord High School graduate died after she was shot on the campus of Delaware State University early Sunday morning.
"In 18 years of her life, she gave us a lot," her grandfather Martin De Silva said.
Her family said she was a light in this world dimmed much too soon.
"We want to see her come through that door. Reality is that she's not," Martin De Silva said.
"Camay was my first born and honestly my best friend," her mother Shanelle De Silva said.
Diligent, funny and at times feisty – Camay Mitchell De Silva's mother, grandfather and aunt are holding tight onto memories of the person they affectionately called "May May."
"We also called her 'Auntie May' because she took care of all the little ones," her aunt Charlotte De Silva Davis added. Shanelle De Silva said she called her daughter, "Lady Bug."
Sitting in the living room of their Wilmington home, the family was still trying to process what happened over the weekend. Together they shared pieces of Camay Mitchell De Silva's life, their hope for justice and how they plan on carrying on her legacy.
"Camay never ceased to impress me. Like my family said, reading young, walking, talking, just everything she did, she did it early and maybe that was just a way to know she wasn't going to be here as long as we wanted her to be here," Shanelle De Silva said about her daughter.
Camay Mitchell De Silva's family said she was at DSU visiting her best friend when the shooting happened. The plan for her was to enroll at the school this fall with dreams of one day working in the cybersecurity world.
"I wish she would've made it that day. She could've come home and tell me another one of her stories," Charlotte De Silva Davis said through tears.
Since the beginning of the investigation, Dover police said the 18-year-old was an innocent bystander. On Thursday, the department said it is "still making good progress" in the investigation.
Her loved ones are praying justice comes soon.
"You just took someone that had nothing to do with what you had going on, so anybody who knows anything, the person who did this, just please come forward," Shanelle De Silva said.
Standing alongside the family was Bishop Jeffery Broughton Sr., who said he is spiritual support for the family.
"This is a seat that no one wants to sit in. To see the pain, to see the sorrow," Broughton said. "Let's stop the violence. Let's not cause another Camay to be in another family, but let's all stand up, let's say something and if you know something, please reach out to the authorities and let them know."
Her mother said Camay was a cheerleader who excelled in school. The family also remembers her as a "techie," often fixing whatever was broken in the house, such as a remote or a computer.
"You'd think she made the device," her grandfather said.
Family was most important to Camay, though. It was part of the reason she came back home after briefly attending Morgan State University in Baltimore.
The family sat down for dinner together every Sunday. They just didn't know her last one would be so soon.
"She came in the kitchen and she said, 'Bye Nini, I love you!' and she kissed me on the cheek and it was a different goodbye," Charlotte De Silva Davis said. That moment was on April 14 – a week before her death.
It was easy to see just how loved Camay Mitchell De Silva was. On Wednesday night, at least 100 people came together for a vigil. Together they released balloons into the area and set up a candle memorial spelling out her name.
Plans are still coming together for Camay Mitchell De Silva's services. Her family said it will be New Jersey because she was born there and spent part of her childhood there. They said it was a place she simply loved.
"This family, together we're going to build something that will let the world know her or care to know about her because we want her name to live on," Martin De Silva said. He later added, "We're going to make sure that name becomes endless."
