It’s been nearly four months, and Shanquella Robinson’s family is still searching for justice. Since the incident occurred in November, Robinson’s mother claims she’s been left entirely in the dark. But, rather than waiting, Shanquella Robinson’s loved ones and community activists have been taking matters into their own hands.
As you know, Shanquella Robinson arrived in Cabo San Lucas on October 28th with friends. Unfortunately, the young woman would never return back to the US. Initially following her passing, her so-called friends attempted to cover up the incident. However, shortly after Shanquella’s passing, a video surfaced of Shanquella involved in an altercation with a young woman named Daejahnae. The video immediately went viral and gained national press.
According to Shanquella’s mother, Sallamondra, each friend showed up at her home after returning to the United States and had different stories. Sallamondra recalled Shanquella’s best friend appearing so nervous while speaking to her that he began to sweat. However, after the video surfaced, Sallamondra claimed everyone had disappeared, and she hadn’t heard from any of them since – not even Shanquella’s male best friend, who was also on the trip. “She went to college with them. One of the guys was supposed to have been her best friend. He had went on family trips with us,” Sallamondra said.
Support for Shanquella grew overnight, with celebrities like Kyrie Irving and Viola Davis bringing attention to the incident. Kyrie Irving donated $65,000 to the young woman’s GoFundMe Campaign to help her family with legal fees and funeral costs. To date, the GoFundMe Campaign has received over $405,000 from nearly 7000 supporters. In addition, EGOT winner Viola Davis shared Shanquella’s story on her Instagram account, demanding justice. Unfortunately, despite all the demands, little to nothing has been done.
The Instagram story for Viola Davis #shanquellerobinson pic.twitter.com/nfTHCUF30k
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) November 19, 2022
Over the weekend, Shanquella Robinson’s family, friends, activists, and supporters marched from Little Rock A&E Zion Church to a local post office to mail hundreds of letters in pink envelopes to Mexican authorities and President Biden to demand justice for her passing. Local Activist John C. Barnett came up with the idea to send pink envelopes rather than white envelopes to get the attention of the local authorities. “I thought it would be creative, but yet eye-catching, cause when it drops into the police department in their mailbox – other than the normal envelope being white – this one is pink,” Barnett stated.
The local activist went on to say, “Every time they see a pink envelope, they’re going to know that we are trying to put pressure on them to execute the warrants to lock up these individuals. It’s been four months. The mother and the family need closure, and it’s imperative they lock them up.” Back in November, Mexican authorities issued a warrant for the individual responsible. But unfortunately, the process of extradition from the US to Mexico requires legal hurdles that could take time.
At this time, no one has been held accountable. Barnett plans to take a trip to Mexico to speak with authorities himself.
