Exclusive: Family of 17-year-old Raelynn Cameron speaks out about her shooting; "I don't understand how this can happen"
NEW YORK - A 17-year-old girl was shot and killed late Monday night inside a Brooklyn apartment building.
Police identified the victim as Raelynn Cameron. CBS2's Elijah Westbrook spoke exclusively with her grieving mother and brother, as they struggled to come to grips with the loss.
They said Cameron was getting ready to celebrate her 18th birthday in just nine days. She graduated from Brooklyn High School of the Performing Arts and was a freshman at Medgar Evers College.
"She was very, very loved, and I don't understand how this can happen," mother Cassandra Adams told Westbrook.
Police said Cameron was shot around 11 p.m. inside a building on Eldert Lane in East New York.
For her mother, it just doesn't make sense.
"She wasn't that type of person. She didn't smoke weed. She was in the church and everything. I couldn't have asked for a better child," Adams said.
Adams said her daughter was a dancer studying liberal arts in college and often volunteered to help the community.
She told Westbrook the 17-year-old was hanging out with her adopted cousin who lives in the high-rise. The cousin invited some friends over, but it's unclear why Cameron was shot.
"She was with her so-called cousin, who won't speak to the police, who is just letting her die in vain," said Adams.
First responders were called and took the teen to nearby Brookdale Hospital, where she died.
The disturbing scene inside the building shows a trail of blood leading from the sixth floor to the lobby area.
"My sister lost her life and it's sad, but I will make sure we find justice for you Rae Rae," Cameron's brother added.
"I am heartbroken, and I'll let you know I will not rest until somebody investigates better about my daughter getting killed," Adams said.
Police said they have been questioning the people Cameron was hanging out with, but so far no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.