'She touched so many people's lives': Family mourns loss of 21-year-old Durham woman killed in gas station shooting
Chanaqua Spencer is mourning the loss of her stepsister, Karizma Mebane.
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“I just wanted everyone to know that she touched so many people’s lives,” said stepsister Chanaqua Spencer. “And, that smile and that genuine heart always got everyone.
“That’s what drew everyone to her. “
“She was very genuine,” Spencer said of her stepsister. “[She had] the purest heart.”
Spencer said she considered Mebane her sister.
“She was out living her life,” Spencer said. “She’s young, and she was just enjoying life at the time.”
Spencer said their other sibling, Tyrick Gattis, was murdered in 2020 in Alamance County.
The family gets by with prayer and through faith, Spencer said.
“Honestly, prayer because I was raised by my grandparents, and that’s how they raised me,” Spencer said. “I was raised in church, so definitely prayer.
Two men face murder charges
Within 24 hours of Mebane’s death, Durham police announced the arrest of Jaquez Reddick, 23, and Tracy Crawford, 18. Both men had their first court appearances on Monday morning.
A court search shows neither of the men has a criminal history, and the two men are roommates in Durham. Also, it appears Reddick and Crawford are brothers because court documents show they have the same address and live with their mother.
A public safety assessment in the court file shows Crawford has one child that he supports. Crawford is in 10th grade.
Remembering Karizma Mebane
Spencer believes both of her siblings were killed simply by being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I am here to keep their name alive, and hope that one day the gun violence stops,” Spencer said.
Spencer said she hopes to start a nonprofit group to help others dealing with similar tragedies.
Mebane’s family is still making plans for her funeral services.
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