HIGH POINT, NC -- Police say a pregnant woman and her unborn child died after a shooting on Thissell Street and Commerce Avenue in High Point on Monday night. Officers say they responded to shots fired around 10:30 p.m. and found Anastasia Ray, an 18-year-old woman, shot in the head.
While officers were administering aid they said they noticed that Ray was seven to eight months pregnant. She was taken to the hospital where she and her unborn son died early Tuesday morning.
Police say another victim, Corey Ray, 32, was shot in the buttocks but is considered stable at the hospital. Police say witnesses told them a person drove by and sprayed the house with bullets. Anastasia and her uncle Corey were inside the home when it happened.
News of Anastasia's death left her family shaken up. Family members say she went by Anna or Anastasia.
"Only an animal would do such a thing," says Superior Brown, Anna's cousin. "Only an animal would take away such an innocent child and the child inside her stomach. It's not real."
Anna's grandmother, Sirritha Brown, says Anna was excited for her baby. She was due next month.
"All she could talk about was her baby and how good of a mother she was going to be," Sirritha says. "Her baby didn’t even get to breathe. She didn’t even get to hold her baby in her arms."
This isn't the first time this family has dealt with a death from gun violence. Just about a year ago, Anna's cousin Raekwon Smith was shot to death in the same neighborhood. That case is still unsolved.
"I’m tired of these cases going unsolved," Superior says. "High Point is in fear. You never know what’s going to happen next."
In Monday nights shooting, officers are now looking for the person responsible. They say witnesses saw a light-colored SUV driving by the house where the shooting happened and firing shots from the vehicle. Officers say they found 20 shell casings in the road in front of the house.
If you know anything about the crime, call Crimestoppers at 336-889-4000.
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users