Local
Pamela Shanks, 68, remembered as ‘the light’ of her family after fatal Gastonia shooting
Pamela Shanks was sitting on her back porch on Laurel Lane when she was killed Monday afternoon by a bullet police say was not meant for her. Her niece is mourning the woman who brought laughter to the family as detectives investigate and no arrest had been made by Tuesday afternoon.
GASTONIA, N.C. — Pamela Shanks’ family is grieving the 68-year-old woman after she was fatally shot while on her back porch Monday afternoon in Gastonia.
Gastonia police said Shanks was not the intended target of the shooting on Laurel Lane. Detectives are investigating how many people fired guns and who they may have been targeting. The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, according to police.
Shanks’ niece, who asked not to be identified, described her aunt as a source of humor and joy in the family. In a phone interview Tuesday, she said the loss had left her in shock and brought intense grief.
“She was the light,” the niece said, recalling how Shanks made people laugh and told jokes. She said the family would no longer have those moments because someone had taken her aunt’s life.
The niece urged people not to fire guns recklessly, including into the air, warning that such actions can have serious consequences. Police had not announced an arrest in Shanks’ killing as of Tuesday afternoon.