Shanquella Robinson’s loved ones honor her birthday, awaiting arrest in her death

A mass of balloons rose against gray skies near Shanquella Robinson’s grave Sunday.

Her mother watched, surrounded by dozens of friends and loved ones.

“She’s smiling down on us,” Salamondra Robinson said. “We have good days and bad days, but we’re out here to celebrate.”

Singing “Happy Birthday” together, most of those gathered remembered Shanquella’s birthdays of years past. Her family usually would throw a party. “She would tell you what she wanted for her birthday and that’s what we’d go buy,” her mother shared.

Salamondra got 25 birthdays with her daughter. She would have turned 26 on Monday.

Next week, it will be two months since Salamondra buried her daughter at Beatties Ford Memorial Garden in Huntersville.

Shanquella Robinson, from Charlotte, died in a vacation rental in Cabo, Mexico on Oct. 29 under suspicious circumstances, including a now-viral video showing a woman believed to be Robinson being beaten while naked by a person who went on the trip with her. Both the FBI and authorities in Mexico have launched investigations.

On Sunday, Salamondra Robinson said she’s not heard if anyone has been arrested or whether extradition has started.

“We’re waiting to see and I know it will happen,” she said. “In God’s time, it will happen. That’s all I’m waiting on.”

Shanquella Robinson’s death

Worldwide attention on Robinson’s death has been ongoing for months.

According to officials in Baja California Sur, Mexico — the state where Robinson and six others traveled for vacation — an arrest warrant has been issued, charging one person with femicide, a form of homicide. But in the weeks following, there’s been no official confirmation of any of Robinson’s travel companions being in custody or being processed for potential extradition from the United States.

As previously reported by The Charlotte Observer, police records, a Spanish to English-translated death certificate, and the stories her family heard from Robinson’s travel companions conflict on how Robinson died.

At the center of the case is a video of a fight where a woman is seen beating and repeatedly striking Robinson. Her family believes that video likely shows what happened on the day Robinson died.

#JusticeForShanquella

Charlotte activist Mario Black, who helped organize Sunday’s celebration, urged Robinson’s family and friends to continue to spread awareness, especially on social media, about Robinson and her story.

“I want to see justice served for this family and for her, so she can rest,” he said. “She’s not resting.”

Patrice McMurray, Robinson’s cousin, said she had been texting Robinson while she was away in Mexico and her death still “doesn’t feel real.”

“I was trying to figure out why she wasn’t responding back to me,” McMurray said. “I didn’t even know until I saw it (in the news).”

McMurray, who held back tears, said she knows Sunday’s celebration would mean a lot to her cousin.

“This show she’s having an impact even though she’s physically not here,” McMurray said. “It makes me happy.”

Like Robinson’s mom, McMurray said she’s confident justice will be served in her cousin’s death.

“It’s still not going to bring her back, but it will start the healing process,” she said.

At the end of the celebration, Robinson’s family sang Happy Birthday to her and released the balloons into the sky.

“We love you, Shanquella!” they shouted.

“We have to try to stand strong for her,” Salamondra Robinson said. “She would want us to be strong and keep on going.”

Amid the pink flowers and the birthday balloons on Sunday, there was Bobby Collins and his son, Denver.

Shanquella was Denver’s godmother. Before she died, she was trying to teach the 1-year-old boy how to walk, Collins said.

Carrying Denver, he moved closer to where Shanquella is buried. As he lowered Denver to the grass, the child took several steps.

Collins let him go — laughter and cheers rang out in the cemetery.

“Right after (Shanquella died), he just started to walk,” Collins said.

“She’s probably jumping for joy right now. I just know it.”