Camay DeSilva was visiting her friend at Delaware State University over the weekend when she was shot and killed. Now her family grieves her loss and looks for answers on why this happened. NBC10’s Tim Furlong spoke with the family.
The teen who was shot and killed while visiting Delaware State University (DSU) was planning on attending the school, her family revealed.
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“Camay was a beautiful and intelligent young lady who had an infectious smile and was a ray of sunshine,” her family wrote. “She graduated with 3.0 grade point average in 2023 from Concord High School in Wilmington, Delaware.”
The family then spoke to NBC10 at their home in Wilmington on Thursday.
"We want to see her come through that door and the reality is she is not," Marvin De Silva, De Silva's grandfather, told NBC10.
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The family said De Silva began her college career at Morgan State but decided she wanted to come home to Delaware. She then attended Delaware Technical Community College and planned to attend DSU in the fall to pursue a degree in Computer Science to help achieve her ultimate goal of working in cybersecurity.
De Silva was trying to get comfortable at DSU in the meantime, often hanging out on campus with her best friend who attends the school.
The family said De Silva was visiting that friend at DSU on Saturday, April 20, and attended a party on campus that night. Around 1:40 a.m. on April 21, DSU Police received a report of shots fired on campus in the area of Warren-Franklin Hall, a dorm at the school. The responding officers found De Silva suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper body. The officers rendered aid and then took her to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
"It's a tragedy. A young life cut short. An educational place, a place where parents are thinking their kids are ok," Dover Police Department Chief Thomas Johnson Jr. told NBC10. "The most I'm willing to say right now is there was a dispute that she was not involved in and we are working out the details of exactly what that was."
The suspect, or suspects, in the shooting were last seen fleeing the area by going in the direction of College Road, according to investigators.
A university spokesperson said that the shooting is under investigation by both the Delaware State University Police and Dover Police.
There were no other injuries reported in connection to this incident, police said.
Officials also said they do not have a description of the suspect yet. If you have any information, please contact the Dover Police Department at 302-736-7130.
"Anybody that knows anything. The person who did this, just please come forward and we just want this justice for her," De Silva's mother, Shanelle De Silva, told NBC10.
Charlotte Davis, De Silva's aunt, told NBC10 she saw her niece a week before she was killed when she came over for their normal family dinner on Sunday. She remembers her niece telling her goodbye.
"Usually, she'll say, 'I'm leaving. I'll see you later.' But this day she came in the kitchen and she said, 'Nini, I love you.' And she kissed me on the cheek and it was a different goodbye that day," Davis said.
The family said they’re praying for investigators, the community as well as the person or people responsible for De Silva’s death.
“Our faith often requires to pray for our enemies, as such, we pray for the perpetrator(s) of the senseless act of gun violence,” they wrote.
They also said they're praying for other families who've experienced the loss of a child.
If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Dover Police Victim Services Unit is available to provide help and guidance. You can contact the Victim Services Unit at 302-736-7134 or by email at: Casey.wilson@cj.state.de.us, officials said in a statement.
