Latasha Cureton, 39, was killed when an unknown assailant shot her multiple times, police said.
A North Carolina mother of six was shot to death in her sleep while her children and mother watched TV at home.
Latasha Cureton, 39, was killed Monday night during a shooting in which an assailant allegedly sprayed Gastonia, NC home with bullets while the victim slept inside and she the children watched a movie with the mother, the Gastón Gazette, WSOCTV and WCCB Charlotte reported.
Witnesses, including Cureton’s mother and children, said they thought they heard fireworks before realizing it was gunfire.
“It was like an explosion,” Cureton’s daughter, who is not included in the report, told Queen City News.
“We thought it was a loud bang, like something had suddenly fallen in the kitchen, it was multiple fringes like fireworks, but then it got louder and louder,” said the daughter, according to the channel. “We ran, took cover and covered the babies.”
WBTVNews/YouTube
Latasha Cureton was sleeping inside when the house was struck by bullets, killing her
Cureton’s son found her in the front bedroom after she screamed “I’ve been hit,” the victim’s sister said.
“Then her son saw her bleeding from the mouth,” her sister, who was also not named in the report, told WCCB Charlotte.
“I realized she had been shot, but at that moment, it was too late,” Cureton’s daughter said, according to WCNC Charlotte. “Losing your mother is something you can’t do – I don’t see how people get over it.”
The family shared photos of a door to their home that was shot in multiple shots; one photo, published by WCNC Charlotte, shows a light switch with a bullet hole in it.
Family and friends estimated there were somewhere between 30 to 40 bullet holes, according to the report. Gastón Gazette and WCCB Charlotte.
There were 13 holes in the door alone, WSOC TV reported.
Cureton was planning your wedding at the time of her death, her friend Sydney Weave told Queen City News.
On a GoFundMe Created to help her family with impending financial challenges, Latasha (sometimes called Tasha) is being remembered as a “beloved mother, daughter, sister, cousin, niece and friend.”
“She was deeply loved and brought so much love and light into our lives,” reads part of the GoFundMe. “She will be missed by all who knew her.”
Cureton’s mother says she lives on welfare, which will make it difficult for her to raise her children alone.
“I don’t know how we’re going to make it,” his mother, Rosalie Hardy, told WSOC TV.
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In addition to the financial hardship he faces, Hardy is struggling with the consequences of the violence, according to WSOC TV. She avoids going into the room where Cureton died, she told the outlet.
“I don’t want to say goodbye, but now I know I have to,” Hardy said.
Cureton’s family hopes the shooter comes forward, according to WCNC and Queen City News.
No arrests had been made as of Friday, June 14. Gastonia Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for an update.
An investigation is ongoing. Gastonia Police are asking anyone with information to call Gaston County Crimestoppers at 704-861-8000.
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