CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department says it is doing everything it can to curb the skyrocketing violent crime numbers the city has seen so far in 2017.
At their weekly briefing Wednesday morning, officers spoke about Arieyana Forney, an 11-year-old girl affected by a shooting earlier this month that left her grandparents dead, and the way the community has rallied around her.
(Arieyana Forney, Ruby Atkinson, Curtis Atkinson Sr.)
Sgt. Katherine Sheimreif said it was the most gut wrenching crime scene she had ever witnessed. She said she noticed right away that Forney was a smart little girl.
"The thing that really jumped out at me when I walked through the kitchen, I saw this young girl's report card and I saw she had all A's and B's," Sheimreif said.
[RELATED: Sources: Kidnapped girl may have witnessed grandparents' murders]
The head of Forney's school said that as soon as people heard about her grandparents’ deaths, students came and emptied their pockets on his desk, all willing to give as much as they could to help her.
Many were struck by the 11-year-old's story. Her uncle, Curtis Atkinson Jr., is accused of killing her grandparents, Ruby and Curtis Atkinson Sr., then kidnapping her.
The girl and her uncle were found in Washington D.C., where he was arrested and she was returned to Charlotte.
Dr. Jimmie Quesinberry, of Hickory Grove Christian School, told Channel 9 that the day after Forney came home, she was back at school.
[IMAGES: Police investigate double homicide, Amber Alert]
He said the girl is now living with a foster family of one of the deacons from the school, and they're trying to help her feel as normal as possible under the circumstances.
Quesinberry described Forney as incredibly smart and athletic, and said she is grateful for all of the community support.
“You could see on her face she is overjoyed that people would come to her like this and help out,” Quesinberry said. “She is strong she is supremely appreciative for everything that's happening to her right now.”
Detectives said they have also received many calls from community members wanting to help, and the church is setting up a fund where all of the money will go into a trust for Forney to help her in the future.
Elevation Church is holding a memorial service for the Atkinson's from noon until 1 p.m. Saturday at the Blakeney location.
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