WARRENSBURG, Mo. — A family is heartbroken after a house party turned violent in Warrensburg. 18-year-old Maliyah Lakey was found dead at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound.
"I’ll never be able to see her and hold her again," said Somer Lakey, Maliyah's mother.
Somer described Maliyah as someone who would speak her mind and be a funny person.
"A day like this, if she was here right now when we were mourning over someone else, she would be the one to crack a joke and make us all laugh and remember why we love that person," Somer said.
Initial reports, according to Warrensburg police, indicated that a large party was taking place at a home when a fight broke out. A male suspect pulled a gun and started shooting, striking three victims at a home in the 400 block of Grover Street. Maliyah was found in an alley in the rear of the house.
A 20-year-old male and a 17-year-old female also were shot and transported to an area hospital. Their injuries are considered non-life threatening.
"We did have several people on scene, lots of people we needed to follow up with," said Stephene Smith, detective with the Warrensburg Police Department.
This now makes three homicides in the city this year, compared to one in 2019.
"Unfortunately, we are a little on the high side and obviously that’s a concern for our community and a concern for us as a department as well," Smith said.
On Saturday, the evidence of a party littered outside the house, neighbors said it's typically a pretty quiet area.
"Noticed a lot of flashing red and blue lights coming into my windows, so I went to the front door and went, 'Oh, three police vehicles with their lights on; this is unusual,'"neighbor Eric Johnson said.
Police still are searching for the male shooter, a suspect is not yet in custody.
Maliyah's family has a strong message to the man who did this.
"Turn yourself in," Somer said. "You know you did it. Even if you believe it was an accident, if you were pointing it at someone else, if you just shot in the air, you killed my baby."
Anyone with any information is encouraged to call police.
