SALISBURY — A 3-year-old girl has become the second victim in the shooting into a home on Rowan Mill Road Aug. 10, according to Salisbury police.

The child, Myisha Angel, died after being shot while sleeping in the top bunk of her bed in her home. Her great-grandfather, Charles William, 80, died at the scene, having been shot while sitting in his recliner, said Salisbury Police Chief Patrick PJ Smith.

The shooting was not the first time shots had been fired at the residence. The house was also the target of a shooting the previous Thursday, Aug. 8, but no one was injured at that time.

Police said during a press conference Wednesday morning that the shootings stemmed from a dispute of some sort between two people. Smith also said Kevin Antonio Smith Jr., 25, who was arrested Aug. 14 on numerous outstanding felony warrants after leading multiple police agencies on a chase that went from Salisbury and Rowan County through several other counties before ending in Charlotte, was one of the intended targets in the shootings.

Smith said looking at Smith’s record and the charges he faces should give people an idea of why he would be targeted. In addition to kidnapping and child abuse charges, Smith faces a multitude of drug-related charges, including the possession and sale of heroin, cocaine and opium. He also faces charges of robbery with a firearm or other dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen car. Smith is currently being held on a total bond of $1.634 million. Police said evidence led them to believe Smith has been associated with the Rowan Mill Road address, though could not say if he actually lived there.

Meanwhile, Angel had fought for her life for more than a week, said Smith, before losing the battle at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, where she had been transferred after the shooting.

“I’m angry,” he said. “There are things she will never experience. A first day of school, making friends, growing up surrounded by love and opportunity. Her future was stolen, and that should fill everyone with outrage and sorrow. The murder of this little girl defies comprehension. It is a cruel reminder there are those among us that have no regard for human life. As your chief of police I am outraged. It’s a crime against the very fabric of our community and should shock the conscience of every one of us.”

Smith said the police know who they are looking for, “and they know we’re looking for them,” and he called on the community for help in locating the suspects and in providing any additional information.

“Let us come together as a community to find those that have committed this terrible crime and make clear that such acts of violence will not be tolerated in Salisbury,” he said. He noted that the department is leaving no stone unturned and is working with other agencies including Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), the FBI, Homeland Security and the district attorney’s office.

He added that the department firmly believes someone knows something or has seen something and needs to speak up.

Asked what he could say to reassure concerned neighbors, Smith said “An incident like this I know spreads fear across the community, and … I cannot stand up here and say not to be fearful, but what I can ask the community to do is be vigilant, and if they hear anything, know anything, reach out and let us know, and know that their police department is doing everything they can, along with partners in other agencies, to bring closure to this swiftly.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Salisbury Investigative Line 704-638-5333 or Crimestoppers at 866-639-JAIL (5245). There is currently a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. All info can remain confidential if you choose it to.

“If you know who these suspects are and you’re not saying anything, and you know these victims are the result of the actions that took place…you’re just as guilty as the person that pulled the trigger, in my mind,” Smith added.

Since the shooting, Smith said Dr. Alberta McLoughlin, victim’s advocate, has been with family entire time, including when child passed away Monday afternoon, Aug. 19. McLoughlin joined the department as a victim/witness advocate in 2019.

“I hope very soon there will be a future briefing where we’re talking about an arrest,” concluded Smith.

Kevin Smith’s accessible record dates back to 2014, when he was arrested at 16 years of age in a home invasion on Standish Street and charged with felony robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony possession of stolen goods and felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance. This past April, his actions triggered an Amber Alert, when he forced his way into a woman’s car and drove off with her young children inside. The children and car were later recovered, the children unharmed.