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A 7-year-old was murdered while she slept. Her family is desperate to know who pulled the trigger.

Salisbury Police said they’re using new technology to try to solve this cold case, but they’re also convinced solving another case will help them make an arrest.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Salisbury Police call this case their number one priority.

"There's not a day go by that we don’t talk about her – we talk about her every day," said April Woodberry, A'yanna Allen's maternal grandmother.

The 7-year-old was shot and killed in December 2016.

"She was a bubbly smiley little girl; she didn’t meet no strangers."

The little girl was killed in a hail of bullets as she slept inside her paternal grandmother's house.

"I remember going in the house and it being full of gun smoke," said Sgt. Travis Schulenberger.

In fact, the autopsy shows Allen had 20 gunshot wounds. She was hit at least 13 times.

Woodberry is convinced the gunfire was in retaliation for another murder that happened about a mile away earlier that same night. Sharod Mathis, 22, was killed at FireWater Restaurant and Lounge.

"We do know this is connected to the murder that happened earlier in the night at Firewater," Schulenberger said.

That case is also unsolved.

"There were people at Firewater that witnessed what happened that could help us clear that case and that would help us clear A'yanna's case."

"Hopefully, we’ll get justice for A'yanna soon because it’s very hard."

Woodberry said Allen is with her every day, thanks in part to a necklace with the little girl's picture

"I've had it ever since. I wear it every day. I don’t feel right if I do not have it on."

If you have any information that could help solve this case you could get a $20,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245 or leave a message on the Salisbury Police Facebook page.

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