North Carolina Prisoner Serving Time for Killing Toddler Killed by Inmates

A man who was convicted of murdering a toddler has been killed in a North Carolina prison by a group of inmates, according to prison officials.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) released a statement pertaining to the incident that took place on Tuesday afternoon. Authorities have stated that Semajs Short, who was 24, was attacked by a group of prisoners housed at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. The group of men ended up killing him in an attack that took place at 2:14 p.m. Tuesday.

First responders performed life-saving efforts until the local paramedics arrived. They tried to resuscitate the prisoner but Short was pronounced dead by paramedics at approximately 2:37 p.m.

There were also three other prisoners who were reported as injured during the group assault. They were all taken to an outside medical establishment to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The Windsor Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident that took place at Bertie Correctional Institution. The Department of Public Safety is fully cooperating in the investigation and intends to seek criminal prosecution against any prisoners who were involved in the altercation. The institution has been placed on modified lockdown as officials work to uncover more about what happened and why. Nobody on staff was injured.

Almost five years ago on April 3, 2017, Short was convicted of second-degree murder in Halifax County. The prisoner was serving a 31-year sentence and was expected to be released on May 7, 2042.

According to WAVY, the dead prisoner pled guilty to the 2014 murder of a 2-year-old toddler by the name of Dy’Unanna Anderson in Halifax County.

Short was 17 years old when the murder took place. According to reports, the little girl’s murder was in retaliation for the murder of 15-year-old Keyuon Garner, who died earlier in the same evening.

It was alleged that Short and another person stood on an air conditioning unit outside a room where Anderson and her grandmother, Catherine Price, were sleeping. Anderson was killed and Price was shot several times.