VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's been almost a year since two people were shot and killed during a chaotic night at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
A police officer shot and killed Donovon Lynch. A grand jury found that Officer Solomon Simmons acted "in self defense of himself and others," but the Lynch family has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against him and the city. That's still unfolding.
The other person who was killed was 29-year-old DeShayla Harris. Investigators are still looking for the person responsible.
That means her mother, Elisheba Harris, is still waiting for answers.
"Don’t even try to wrap your mind around your child being taken away from you instantly and there’s nothing you can do about it," she said.
Tuesday night, DeShayla and other victims of gun violence were front and center during a Virginia Beach City Council meeting.
Two separate memorials were proposed to honor them: the first for Harris, and the other to remember all victims of gun violence in Virginia Beach, generally. They didn't pass, but they did spark some conversations on how to remember victims of gun violence.
Ever since March 26, 2021, a temporary memorial has stood on 19th Street.
Elisheba Harris said that has brought her some comfort, but she wanted to take it a step further, with a permanent memorial.
"She was just a beautiful butterfly," Harris said. "And all I ask y’all is just to help me. Just to help me recognize that her memorial will never be forgotten."
Councilwoman Sabrina Wooten presented a resolution that could do that. Before they put it to a vote, many members of the community spoke out in favor of the permanent plaque.
"Let DeShayla be the face of change at the Oceanfront," one said. "Let the monument be the beacon that the city’s priority is: safety for all."
In the end, the resolution failed 2-9.
However, Mayor Bobby Dyer said he has been in contact with other mayors in the region, and they are now acting to create the “757 DeShayla Harris Youth Violence Task Force."
Mayor Dyer told the crowd the task force would focus on youth violence, and utilize all resources available to them.
That's a move her mother applauded from the audience.
Wooten presented a second resolution to create a “Gone too Soon” memorial to honor all victims of violence. No one seconded the motion, so it was denied.