CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – More than 100 people gathered Saturday evening to lift up the family of Shanquella Robinson, a Charlotte woman who was killed in Mexico more than six weeks ago and whose story has sparked calls from across the world for arrests to be made.
Family, community supporting efforts to find justice for Shanquella Robinson
“Justice will happen, and that’s my faith, and that’s what I’m going to keep going on,” explained Shanquella’s dad Bernard Robinson Saturday evening.
His 25-year-old daughter traveled to Mexico in late October to vacation with a group of people she considered her friends.
Within 48 hours of her arrival in San Jose del Cabo, Robinson was found dead in her room.
Shanquella’s family has explained to Queen City News that her friends first told them that she had died from alcohol poisoning.
An autopsy later found that she suffered several injuries, which included a severed spine and a broken neck.
Mexico authorities later ruled her death a femicide and said it was a direct attack against her. An arrest warrant has been taken out against one of those friends, but no arrests have been made.
Saturday, her father reiterated the fact that he knew the story his family was originally told was not true the moment he saw his daughter’s body.
Bernard said, “They just took her out of her comfort zone. She didn’t see it coming. But when I saw her in that casket, and the knots on her head, I knew. They did harm to her.”
More than a dozen people spoke at Saturday’s rally with the message of support for the family through the days, months, and years that will come with their grief.
Civil Rights Activist John Barnette was among those speakers and told them that they had the full resource of local and nationwide civil rights groups including, “a private investigator to track them down. I know they can run, but they can’t run for long.”
Saturday’s rally also put more light on the context of a now-viral video that alleges to show Shanquella being beaten up in, what allegedly was her final moments.
The video captured people in the room telling her to “fight back,” but she did not.
One speaker on Saturday expressed gratitude that the video became viral. She said, “what was meant to humiliate this lady, has turned around and introduced this woman to the world.”
Another speaker said that while Shanquella did not fight, the community will fight to see that justice is done for her death.
The Robinson family declined to provide any updates they’ve received from authorities but said that the updates they’ve received have left them hopeful that justice will happen in God’s time.
