Teen charged after ‘devastating’ loss of schoolmate in North Carolina, officials say
Norah Smitherman was a dedicated student who enjoyed working with kids at her North Carolina church, officials said.
But the 17-year-old’s life was cut short when she was shot and killed last week, multiple news outlets reported.
“Norah was a blessing and an inspiration to so many and losing her is devastating on many levels,” Yadkin County Schools, a district roughly 80 miles north of Charlotte, said in a news release.
Now, deputies say another teen has been arrested in connection to Norah’s death. The 17-year-old boy, who wasn’t identified in news reports, was charged with second-degree murder and taken into juvenile custody, according to WXII.
The suspect went to Forbush High School, which Norah also attended, WFMY reported. The school is about 20 miles west of Winston-Salem.
The high school paid tribute to Norah after the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office told news outlets it responded to an off-campus shooting on Nov. 4. At a home along Gospel Way Church Road, officials said Norah was pronounced dead.
Norah is described as a high school senior who earned straight As and was a member of the National Honor Society and student council, among other groups. She also did volunteer work at Impact Yadkin and Collide Church, district officials said.
“More than that, she was a friend to so many, a wonderful person who was kind to all she met,” Todd Martin, superintendent of Yadkin County Schools, said in an emailed statement. “Many students and teachers have spoken to how kind she was to everyone.”
Pam Garrison, who taught Norah as a substitute teacher, told WGHP she wanted to honor the late teenager as people went to her services on Nov. 10.
“I just put balloons out because I know they’ll be passing by my house to go to the funeral home,” Garrison said, according to the TV station. “I want them to know that I cared and I hurt for them.”
After Norah’s death, the school district said it honored her at a memorial service and balloon release at a Nov. 6 football game. Several fans wore clothes and ribbons that were purple, her favorite color.
“We hold her family, her friends, and everyone in the Forbush High School community close to our hearts and send our prayers to the many families that have been impacted by this tragedy,” said the district, which expressed condolences in its news release.
The Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for additional information on Nov. 11.
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