NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Early morning gunfire Saturday in downtown Norfolk claimed the lives of two 25-year-olds: Devon Harris of Portsmouth and Sierra Jenkins of Norfolk.
“Sierra was our shining star. She was the future,” said Pamela Jenkins, Sierra’s grandmother. She didn’t want to show her face on camera, so she showed 10 On Your Side photos of her beloved granddaughter.
“We were always just so proud of her and everything that she did,” Jenkins said.
Sierra was a reporter for The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.
Her grandmother told 10 On Your Side she often covered shootings like the one that claimed her life. Throughout her career, she crossed paths with many journalists at 10 On Your Side. She was known to always be positive, upbeat and kind.
10 On Your Side shares condolences after Sierra’s untimely death.
To her grandmother, Sierra was a highly motivated, intelligent, young woman who was a “daddy’s girl.” She was described as being always busy and striving for success.
“She was ready to do everything she could to change the world and help people,” Jenkins explained.
Saleen Martin worked with Sierra at the Pilot.
“To be honest, I still can’t believe it. I feel like it’s not really going to hit me until I clock in on Monday. I hate that for her and I hate that for her family and I hate that for her friends. It’s just not right,” Martin told 10 On Your Side with tears streaming down her face.
Martin has a message to the one who pulled out a gun and fired it Saturday morning.
“You took away a really great person and there’s things she told me that she wanted to do and she’ll never get to do them,” Martin added.
Hours later, Bilal Muhammad of Stop the Violence was at the scene on Granby.
“We must set a better example for our youth. If we have a problem with someone, let’s talk about it. We’ve got to stop looking at ourselves as the first solution is to grab our firearms. That’s not the solution. That’s not going to resolve the matter,” Muhammad said.
Three people remain in the hospital.
Norfolk police have yet to release information on possible suspects.
On Monday, Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron released a statement on social media about the violent weekend.
“Following a violent weekend throughout Hampton Roads, our thoughts are with the victims and their families. It’s times like this that we must come together as a community and spread the message that violence is not the answer. As leaders we need to be proactive and find meaningful ways to reduce crime in our streets. We must continue to have open dialogue about the violence plaguing our community and find constructive ways citizens can learn to resolve conflict. Healthy social skills need to be taught at an early age and continue to evolve through adolescence and adulthood. Our communities must come together for the betterment of our youth and their future.”
Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron