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Family seeks justice for teenage girl shot and killed by a young boy playing with a gun

Justice for Nykayla: the Nykayla Strawder Memorial Act
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Posted at 9:35 AM, Feb 08, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-08 09:46:55-05

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The family of a Baltimore girl shot and killed last summer by a nine-year-old boy playing with a gun, are making an emotional trip to Annapolis Wednesday in her honor.

Nykayla Strawder's loved ones are speaking out to support legislation to stiffen penalties for adult gun owners who allow their firearms to get into the hands of children.

The nine-year-old boy was playing with a loaded handgun owned by his grandmother, who reportedly worked as a security guard.

Nykayla's family want to hold adults accountable if they fail to keep their weapons out of the hands of children.

Last week, the boy's grandmother, April Gaskins, was indicted by a Baltimore grand jury on one count of reckless endangerment and two counts of failure to secure a firearm with an unsupervised minor.

Today, Maryland State Senator Jill Carter will introduce a bill in Nykalya's honor

Senate Bill 15, the ‘Nykayla Strawder Memorial Act,’ will require officers to file a ‘Child in Need of Supervision' petition for children under age 10, after an act that results in the death of a victim, whether the incident is accidental or intentional.

Carter also has filed another bill that proposes stiffer penalties for adults who leave firearms unsecured resulting in injuries or death.

Nykayla's family plans to appear in Annapolis before the General Assembly Wednesday to advocate for these bills in Nykayla's honor.

Her cousin Reynard Parks seeks justice not only for Nykayla but for all families who suffer the loss of a child due to carelessness.

Parks said “we're going to be a beacon of light for not just Nykayla but for all families that even if the communication isn't perfect you should continue on that fight.”

The hearing on Senate Bill 15 is at 1 p.m. at the Maryland State House in Annapolis.