Friends rally around Rock Hill mother who was shot

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Laquata Wilson, 35, of Rock Hill, was injured after being shot Feb. 12 at her Farlow Street home where she lived with her two daughters.

"We don't even call each other friends. We say, ‘We're sisters,’" said Lara McConnell, who works with Wilson at the Microtel in Rock Hill.

[Man accused of killing pregnant woman, injuring 5 others in Rock Hill]

Wilson was supposed to be at work that day when McConnell got the call that something horrible had happened.

"We didn't want to believe it. The first few days I came into work, it was hard for me to focus," she said.

York County sheriff's deputies said the man accused of shooting Wilson, Marques Heath, also allegedly shot two other women he knew at a house on Leach Road, York County deputies said.

(Heath)

Shanijela Williams was killed, and Bethany Farrar was seriously injured.

Deputies said Heath attacked three other people in the house with a hammer. He was caught later the same day on South Boulevard in Charlotte. Investigators have not released a motive for the shooting spree.

However, Heath is a convicted drug dealer with a lengthy record, including a domestic violence arrest involving one of the women he allegedly shot three weeks earlier.

Jami Konestski is also a co-worker and friend of Wilson's at the Microtel.

"She has (gone) out of her way to watch my kids when I was sick. She's gotten my kids clothes. She's helped my family many, many times," Konestski said. "She's going to need a lot of help from everybody."

Wilson has had multiple surgeries, and the road to recovery will be a long one. Family members are looking after her two daughters while she's in the hospital.

Wilson's friends have started a GoFundMe page to help with her medical bills.

[GoFundMe Link: Help Laquata "Mook" Wilson's family]

They've placed Wilson’s pictures and information about their campaign at the Microtel, where customers have asked about her condition.

"Everyone she helped here loved her," McConnell said. "She's strong, and she's always been strong, so I know she's going to be just fine."

Cox Media Group