Photo Courtesy of Bertie Correctional Institution
A 24-year-old North Carolina prisoner convicted of murdering a toddler was killed by fellow prisoners on Tuesday afternoon.
According to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Semajs Short was attacked by a group of inmates in the housing center at the Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor shortly after 2 pm. Emergency services responded to the incident and attempted to save Short’s life to no avail. Three inmates outside of the 24-year-old were also injured during the melee. They were transported to an external medical facility for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Now, Windsor police and the State Bureau of Investigation have launched an inquiry into Short’s death.
The prisoner was serving 31 years in prison for the 2014 murder of two-year-old Dy’Unanna Anderson in Halifax County. When Short killed the little girl, he was 17 years old. He reportedly murdered her as an act of revenge for the death of Keyuon Garner– who was killed the same day. Anderson and Catherine Price, the toddler’s grandmother, were shot as they slept. The baby girl suffered fatal wounds. Price was revived twice after being shot in the head twice.
He was convicted of killing her in April 2017 in Halifax.
District Attorney Valerie Asbell spoke firmly about the crime when it happened.
“This was a horrendous event which shocked our entire community, especially when it involved the murder of an innocent 2-year-old girl and the attempted murder of her grandmother. It is my job as district attorney to hold people accountable for their actions and their roles in certain crimes.”
She continued, “Our homes are where we should feel safe and when events like this occur, it shakes our sense of security in the sanctity of our own homes. My first duty as district attorney is to protect the public and the citizens of Halifax County from further harm from these individuals.”
WAVY reported that during Semajs’ five years in prison, the 24-year-old had been written up on various infractions, including gang affiliations, fighting and lock tampering.