She was the ‘light of everyone’s life’: Family devastated over toddler's shooting death

WELLS, Maine — At 22 months old, Octavia Huber Young had just started saying her first words — “mama,” “papa,” “dada,” “nana,” — between the raspberries she blew at the family who loved her.

“She was absolutely the light of everyone’s life,” said Craig Higgins, Octavia’s uncle. Octavia was taken from their lives when police say she was shot by her own uncle in the family’s home at 97 Crediford Road.

Now Higgins, the brother of Octavia’s mother Samantha Higgins, said the family is working day-by-day to live with their loss. 

Octavia, known as “Occy” by family, was just getting old enough to go on trips with her older sister to places like Mount Washington, the Conway Scenic Railroad and New Hampshire’s Ice Castles, her uncle said.

“I started making all these summer plans, me and my grandmother,” Higgins said. “Now we won’t get a chance to do that.”

Octavia was in her father Ethan Huber Young’s arms Saturday, May 21 when, police allege, Ethan’s brother Andrew Huber Young shot at him and his father, striking Octavia as well. Octavia’s father and grandfather were hospitalized but survived and have since been released. Octavia was rushed to York Hospital’s urgent care center in Sanford, then to the Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she succumbed to her injuries.

“I feel like everything was taken from me at this point,” Higgins said. “She was so young.”

Higgins said his sister, Octavia’s mother Samantha Higgins, was too emotional to talk this week about her daughter. He said Octavia lived with her mother in Acton Monday through Thursday, while she spent the weekends at her father’s home in Wells where the shooting occurred, according to Higgins.

Previous story:Man accused of fatally shooting Wells toddler arraigned on murder charge

‘Always smiling, happy go lucky’

Higgins and his mother and his grandmother frequently watched Octavia and her 4-year-old sister Alice. Octavia, also called the “Octopus” by her grandfather, loved playing on the swing set at her mother’s house, as well as the park in nearby Alfred. She blew plenty of raspberries, Higgins said.

“I don’t know who taught her that. That was her big thing,” Higgins said.

She looked up to her sister, trying to do everything Alice did, even demanding she wear what Higgins called “big girl underwear” instead of diapers, Higgins said. Her sister did not always want to share with Octavia, he said, but loved her very much.

“She was an absolute peach to be around,” Higgins said. “Always smiling, happy go lucky.”

Higgins said his mother picked up and dropped off Octavia twice a week from her father’s house. He said while his sister and Octavia’s father were no longer dating, her father loved her and his family was kind.

An incomprehensible loss

Higgins was at work when he learned about the shooting. His phone kept vibrating but he was focused on customers, he said, and ignored the calls. Finally his mother called the store and asked to speak with him to tell him Octavia had been shot.

“She said, ‘This is no joke. You need to come home,’” Higgins said. “I hung up the phone, looked at my boss and said, ‘I’ve got to go. My niece has been shot,’ and I walked out.”

Because of COVID-19 protocol limiting visitors to the hospital, Higgins and his grandmother stayed home and waited for word from his mother.

“We just kind of sat around and waited,” Higgins said. “My mother called to say the doctor came out to say she had passed.”

Higgins said he was initially told by Ethan’s family that the shooting was brought on by the family’s intent to kick Andrew out of the home and that the family did not own any guns. He said he later learned more details – that police say the fight stemmed from an argument over a T-shirt as well as Andrew claiming to have taken the gun from his father.

Higgins said he has struggled with compassion for Andrew, who at first he acknowledged was still young and developing mentally.

“When I learned it was about a stupid argument over a T-shirt, it was like, ‘OK. I don’t know if I can have compassion at that point. Now I’m kind of, sort of angry,” Higgins said. “He could have waited until (Ethan) had put her down.”

Police:Brothers' fight over T-shirt led to death of 22-month-old girl in Wells, Maine

Community brings comfort in time of sorrow  

Higgins said the outreach from the community has been helpful since the shooting. A GoFundMe online fundraising page was created Sunday to help raise money for his sister, who is also pregnant with another child, while she mourns her daughter. The page was created by Michelle Blasi, the post stating it was from Samantha’s “work family” at Durgin Pines, a retirement home in Kittery. The post had raised $7,210 as of Monday afternoon.

“It’s a huge help right now,” Higgins said. “It will help cover a lot of expenses. She’s going to be out of work for a while.”

As the family prepares for Octavia’s memorial service, Higgins has been remembering his niece through pictures.  

The last one he took was of Octavia lying on the couch covered in an Afghan blanket the Wednesday before she died. She and her sister had been playing with their grandmother, chasing her with the play tunnel tubes used by their cats. Craig said he looked up at one point to see Octavia climbing on the couch under the blanket to take a break.

“Sitting there, looking cute as ever, I snapped a quick picture,” Higgins said. “Not knowing that was going to be the last picture I ever took.”