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Friends, family of slain Central Valley grad gather for vigil

A vigil for Shianne Soles, who was killed in a shooting in Virginia last weekend, was held at Independence Point on Lake CDA on Saturday evening.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A vigil for a slain Central Valley High School graduate was held at Independence Point on Lake Coeur d'Alene on Saturday evening.

Shianne Soles, a graduate of Central Valley High School, was killed during a shooting in Portsmouth, Virginia, that left two women and a man dead.

Soles, 19, graduated from CVHS in 2018. She was an athlete on the cheer and track teams.

A candlelight vigil was held for Soles at Independence Point on Lake Coeur d'Alene at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"Her life was taken away far too soon but her influence will live on. This event we are holding is to embrace her life in a reverent manner as we gather to share memories and lean on each other in this hard time," the family said at the vigil. 

The family asked or donations to be made to the Shianne Taylor Memorial Fund at the Spokane Teachers Credit Union in lieu of flowers.

Soles' family said in a statement last week that she was a friend to everyone she knew and that she joined the Navy to make the world a better place.

The statement reads in full:

"Shianne Taylor Soles was a bright light that would flood the room wherever she went. Her smile was contagious and her laughter was infectious. She was a friend to everyone that met her and never turned down anyone that needed help, day or night. She touched the lives of many. She had a passion to be a part of something bigger. Something where she could help make the world a better place. This led her to pursue a career in the Navy as a Corpsman, beginning her career at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth VA. Her desire to excel in everything she did led her to many different adventures. From dance to cheer, track and work, school and Navy, she excelled in all that she did. She was driven, focused, and brave until her light faded too soon. 

There are no words that can describe the pain we feel or the pain that we see within our support group around us. The words we have received have stretched far and wide and we cannot thank everyone enough. Thank you for respecting our need for privacy during this time of mourning."

Soles and 23-year-old Meaghan Burns of Massachusetts, who was also killed in the shooting, were active duty military and stationed at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. 

According to Portsmouth Police, a call came in Saturday night around 11 about a shooting at the 7-Eleven on Effingham Street. When officers arrived, they found three people dead on-scene.

Two women were found with gunshot wounds to their torsos in the 7-Eleven parking lot.

Officers were then directed to a vehicle in the parking lot of the nearby Dollar General. Police found the driver, a man, suffering from a self-inflicted injury to his upper body.

Naval Criminal Investigative Service identified the man as 22-year-old Donavon Moora from New York. Moora was active duty military stationed at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.

Portsmouth detectives are working with the assistance of NCIS as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case. Investigators are assuring the public that this was an isolated incident.

RELATED: Service member from Veradale killed in Virginia shooting

WVEC staff contributed to this report. 

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