The wake is set for Thursday for 9-year-old Brandoniya Bennett who was shot last week in Old East Dallas. She was killed after a person fired into an apartment they believed belonged to someone else, police said.
"Thank you for all your thoughfulness, prayers and donations," a GoFundMe campaign for the family said. "On behalf of the family, it is greatly appreciated. Please know that your donations are being used for the purpose of ensuring Brandoniya has a beautiful homegoing and her life, as short as it was, will be celebrated."
The wake is from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. at the funeral home at 4155 South R.L. Thornton Fwy in Dallas.
Her homegoing celebration is 11 a.m. Friday at New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church at 1932 Dennison St. in Dallas.
Last week, NBC 5 talked with people in the apartment complex where Brandoniya lived. The neighbors said they knew her well and that she was excited about the start of a new school year.
A woman whose daughter lives in the apartment complex said Brandoniya and a group of friends recently had their nails painted so they would look nice on the first day of school.
"My daughter was telling about two days ago that she did about five or six little girls' nails over here for school," Nicki Ra said. "So when we just pulled into the apartment complex and they were saying 'What happened?' my daughter just broke down crying and I was like, 'What?' And she was like, 'Mom that was one of the little girls I just did her nails last week for school.'"
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Police arrested Tyrese Simmons on Aug. 15 and police say he was arguing with another person because in rap songs they diss each other, police said.
Police say there was an argument and though the fight was initially broken up, witnesses told police one of those rappers along with a few other individuals returned to the location. They knocked on the door of an apartment of the person they were looking for, but when that person did not come outside, the suspects walked around to the back.
The shooters then fired into the wrong apartment and struck 9-year-old girl, now identified as Brandoniya Bennett, police said.
"I heard the pops, like three or four, pop, pop. A lot of people screaming and hollering, holding the baby in her arms and then the police car took her away," Neighbor Marilyn Weaver said.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to help her mother with expenses.
