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Family, friends of pregnant woman killed in Hampton shooting hoping for justice

Destiny Layton 1.jpg
Destiny Layton.jpg
Posted at 11:26 PM, Feb 03, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-04 07:12:56-05

HAMPTON, Va. — It's a pain one Hampton Roads mother says no parent should have to experience.

Three people including a pregnant woman and her unborn child died in a shooting on Jan. 30 in Hampton.

Police were called to an apartment complex on Salisbury Way where they found Dijonte Nash, 24, was found dead at the scene. Destiny Layton, 25, who was eight months pregnant, was taken to the hospital where she and her unborn child later died.

LaDarya Thomas, who was a friend of Destiny, is looking for answers about what happened.

"Nobody deserves this, but especially not her. Not 8 months pregnant either," Thomas said. "I want to fall to my knees and just ask God 'why me? Why is this happening, why are we going through this'?"

Thomas called Destiny her rock.

"We lived next door to each other, so it wasn't a day we wouldn't spend together. She was like a soulmate to me, a sister," said Thomas.

Layton's mother, Alissa Hendry, remembers her daughter as someone who loved people.

"I have so many great memories with her that I would never think her name would die in my heart," said Thomas.

Leaving behind four other young children, Layton's loved ones say they have not told them yet what happened to their mother, but they are praying for the person who pulled the trigger to turn themselves in.

Destiny Layton 2.jpg
Destiny Layton and her unborn child were killed in a shooting in Hampton on Jan. 30, 2023.

"It's unfortunate that my friend had to fall victim to something like this," Thomas said. "But I believe in the justice system, and I believe that the chief of police will do everything possible to find the person responsible for this."

News 3 has reached out to Hampton police for any new updates about this investigation. As of Friday, police said they are still looking for a suspect and do not know the motive behind this shooting.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit Destiny’s family.