UPDATE: Teen dies in Bibb’s first homicide of 2012

By her family’s account, Shar’Bora Yan’Kita Shy’rell Daniels was a fairly typical 18-year-old.

Recently graduated from Central High School, she had a job, enjoyed social networking and talking on the phone with her friends.

Daniels became Bibb County’s first homicide victim early Tuesday morning after a bullet struck her in the head at her father’s home in the 4700 block of Brookhaven Road shortly before 12:30 a.m., Bibb County sheriff’s officials said.

Daniels was pronounced dead at 10:49 a.m. at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said.

Daniels’ father, Alfred, said his daughter never got into trouble and didn’t have any enemies. She was planning to attend Macon State College in the fall, then after a year transfer to Clark Atlanta University. She eventually wanted to pursue a career in fashion design.

“She was an A/B student,” Alfred Daniels said. “She told me she was two points away from being an honors graduate. She liked to speak Spanish on Facebook.”

Daniels said everyone called his daughter by her nickname of “Shy,” and he has “Trae & Shy” tattooed on his right bicep in honor of his two eldest children.

Alfred Daniels said he and his wife were asleep in their room when their 16-year-old son Christopher started banging on the bedroom door, telling them there was “something wrong with Shy.”

A bullet entered Christopher’s bedroom while he was playing a video game and passed into the next room, where Shar’Bora was talking on the phone. Christopher told his parents he had heard a “pop” sound, which he thought came from his sister’s phone.

As Alfred Daniels and his wife examined her, he said he could feel his daughter’s heart beat rapidly. He said he saw wall board scattered around his daughter.

“I couldn’t see what was wrong,” he said. “Then I turned her head onto her side and that’s where (the gunshot wound) was.”

Bibb County investigators are seeking the public’s help in solving the case.

Sheriff Jerry Modena said he couldn’t release details of an ongoing investigation, but his investigators are pursuing several avenues.

“They’ve got some angles that they’re working,” Modena said. “They’ve been working on it since it occurred. We’re going to work around the clock until we get a break.”

Last year, there were three homicides in the unincorporated county, officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Macon Regional CrimeStoppers at (877) 68-CRIME, or the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 746-9441.

Alfred Daniels said his family is trying to deal with the death as best as they can.

“My daughter don’t get involved with confrontations,” he said. “We’re in the dark (as to why it happened). I can’t even speculate.”

To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334. To contact writer Liz Fabian, call 744-4303.

This story was originally published June 19, 2012 at 3:38 AM with the headline "UPDATE: Teen dies in Bibb’s first homicide of 2012."