CONCORD, N.C. -- Community members, family, and friends are coping with the loss of a 13-year-old girl who died after a shooting at Concord Mills Mall on Saturday.

Concord Police say Aveanna Propst was shot in the Dave & Buster’s parking lot, where they received reports of a fight. Two other children under the age of 16 were also shot but had non-life threatening injuries.

Propst was an eighth grader at A.C.E. Academy Public Charter School in Harrisburg.

Darius Freeman, who said he had been dating Aveanna for three months, spoke with us about hearing that her life had been cut short. 

"She was a very sweet girl and she was pretty nice,” Freeman said. “I’m heartbroken because that was my first love.”

In a statement, A.C.E. Academy Public Charter School Executive Director Laila Minott said they started providing counseling services for students on Saturday.

The school will continue supporting students throughout the holiday break.

“Aveanna was scheduled to graduate from our school this year and this is devastating to all of us,” Minott stated. “She's a baby, she's 13-years-old. This is hard to process, accept, or even understand. We support our families in and out of school and anytime one of our children suffers, we all suffer.”

Charles Robinson, whose 12-year-old son was at Dave & Buster’s when the shooting happened, also became emotional talking about the passing of the young girl.

“It’s tough. It’s tough that another family has to bury a child,” Robinson said. “This should have never happened. This was the last Saturday of the year and the last Saturday of the decade and we lost a 13-year-old for going to the mall.”

His son, Chase, hid under a table with family members inside the business before making it out safely to their car.

"We try to shield him from danger but now you have to be aware going to Dave & Buster’s to play a video game. You have to make sure you are mindful of who is playing and who is shooting,” Robinson said.

Propst died hours after her cousin, Derron Jordan, died in a separate shooting in Concord. It happened on Lincoln Street and Malvern Drive on Saturday evening.

 

 

 

Police have not said yet whether the cases are related.

If you have any information regarding either of the cases, call 704-920-5000 or Cabarrus County Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME.