North Carolina Central University is mourning the loss of a student.
The Robeson County Sheriff's Office says Kianna Jones was shot and killed in Lumberton in August. Now, the university is working on plans to honor Jones while the man charged with her death sits in jail.
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According to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, Jones was shot on Aug. 20 while sitting in a vehicle in Lumberton. On Thursday, North Carolina Central University announced Jones's passing in a message to the student body.
Investigators arrested 22-year-old Cedrione McDowell in connection with her death.
McDowell is charged with murder for Jones' death, as well as discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle and attempted murder. Family members said that Jones and McDowell had been in a relationship. WRAL News reached out to the Robeson County District Attorney's office to see if McDowell had any previous domestic violence charges in relation to Jones. According to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, he did not.
According to court documents, McDowell was out of jail on a $100,000 bond for a felony drug charge at the time of Jones’s death. McDowell is now in jail with no bond.
University leaders also encourage any student mourning Jones’s death to take advantage of on-campus counseling services.
NCCU will observe a moment of silence for Jones on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in the NCCU Student Center.