SALISBURY, N.C. — The family of 7-year-old A'yanna Allen made a plea to the public for someone to come forward and help solve the case of the little girl's shooting death.
A'yanna was killed in December when someone fired shots into her grandmother's home on Harrel Street.
The Salisbury Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office held a news conference Wednesday morning.
(Salisbury police chief urges any witnesses to come forward to help solve case)
The police chief announced that A'yanna's shooting death is connected to the shooting death of Sharod Mathis. Mathis was shot and killed outside Firewater Bar and Lounge and Salisbury hours before A'yanna was killed.
[RELATED: Police investigating homicide in Salisbury]
The chief said authorities need the cases solved for the safety of the community. He said whoever killed Mathis and Allen is still on the streets.
He said a billboard will be put up on Jake Alexander Boulevard as another tool to try to bring awareness to the case and hopefully it will encourage any witnesses to come forward.
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Authorities believe there may have been dozens if not more than a hundred witnesses to the shooting at the Firewater Bar and Lounge that may have information that could help lead to an arrest in at least one of the cases.
A'yanna's mother and grandmother spoke at the news conference, pleading for anyone to come forward with information.
"That was my child they took from me, and I have to visit her at the grave," A'yanna's mother said.
There is a $20,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in A'yanna's shooting death. Anyone with information is asked to call Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.
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