BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — On May 21, 2021, in front of an apartment complex at L and 10th Streets in Bakersfield, 12-year-old Ahmaya Alexander was shot and killed. Now, almost 2 years later, the case is still being investigated, Ahmaya's family is still fighting for justice, and the Bakersfield Police are once again asking for the public's help in solving the case.
"She was definitely the comedian," Ahmaya's uncle Brandyn Hunter said. "She always enjoyed to be around family. Ahmaya loved to be around family."
According to Hunter, family, friends, and animals were his niece Ahmaya's core values.
"She was smart, she loved school, she definitely loved animals," said Hunter. "She wanted to be a veterinarian when she got older."
Ahmaya was well on her way to becoming a veterinarian, but was never able to fulfill that dream. Instead, she was shot and killed outside an apartment complex in Bakersfield.
Hunter says the unfinished journey to justice has been exhausting for their family.
"In all honesty, it's sickening. It's been almost two years, we have not found the individual or individuals that are responsible for Ahmaya's death," said Hunter.
Hunter says he feels like police made significant progress with Ahmaya's case in the beginning, but now feels that things have slowed down, causing heartbreak for his sister, Ahmaya's mother.
"She has to live with this for the rest of her life, and the longer that this drags out, the longer that she knows that her killers are still out there," said Hunter. "She is unable to get that closure."
The Bakersfield Police say they believe this case was an example of gang violence.
"Based off of the information that they released just the other day," said Hunter. "Ahmaya wasn't in a gang. She wasn't affiliated with any type of gang. She wasn't around gangs, so at the end of the day, my question to the BPD is where do we get this information at?"
Sergeant Robert Pair, BPD's public information officer, clarifies.
"Ultimately, it comes from a determination of facts known to investigators about the motivation for the crime," said Pair, adding, "I want to make it clear when we say 'gang-related,' it does not mean the victim, particularly in this case Ahmaya, had anything to do with the gang."
Pair continues, adding that BPD believes Ahmaya's death is purely a case of the wrong place at the wrong time.
"In no way did Ahmaya Alexander have anything to do with her death," asserted Pair. "She did nothing wrong."
Hunter says regardless of the circumstances, all Ahmaya's family wants is for the person or people responsible for her death to be found.
"We need to focus on who shot and killed this innocent 12-year-old Black girl. That's what we need to focus on, and all the promises and stuff that was made? Now we're holding your feet to the fire," said Hunter.
Kern Secret Witness is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the May 2021 shooting death of Ahmaya Alexander. Anyone with information can call 322-4040.
"No one should ever go through this tragedy regardless of who you are: Black, white, Hispanic, none of that matters," said Hunter. "At the end of the day, my message for you is: If you know something, say something."
