Woman arrested, charged with murder of Asia Stewart at Sunnyside apartment complex

HOUSTON - A woman wanted for a fatal weekend shooting at a Southeast Houston apartment complex is now in police custody.

Dasja Wilmore, 25, was arrested early Wednesday morning by Houston Police and charged with murder in connection with the death of Asia Stewart.

Asia Stewart shot and killed

What we know:

The shooting occurred on Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Wesley Square Apartments on Calhoun Road. According to charging documents, the incident stemmed from a series of physical altercations between several women that had been ongoing since Feb. 5.

Investigators allege that during a fight between two other women, Wilmore "bucked" at Stewart, leading to a physical struggle between the two. Witness statements provided to police indicate that Wilmore had been seen with a gun in her waistband and had allegedly threatened to shoot anyone who touched her friend.

Witnesses told police that Stewart was attempting to break up a fight when she was shoved by Wilmore. After Stewart reportedly swung at the defendant, Wilmore allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot Stewart once in the abdomen at close range. Stewart was transported to Ben Taub Hospital via a private vehicle, where she was pronounced dead later that night.

At the scene, investigators recovered two fired 9mm cartridge casings alongside personal items—including clothing and hair weave—that suggested a violent struggle had taken place.

Police state Wilmore was identified by multiple witnesses through a double-blind photo array and social media profiles. One witness noted that while Wilmore fled the scene in a vehicle, she fired several additional shots in the direction of bystanders, though no other injuries were reported.

Wilmore is currently being held in Harris County as the legal proceedings move forward.

What we don't know:

The reason behind the shooting is still unknown.

Victim's father to suspect: ‘I’m not mad at you'

What they're saying:

Stewart's father, Carlton Stewart, confirmed that Asia was a mother of four young children, ages 11, 8, 6, and 3. 

On the night of the shooting, Stewart had just completed a 16-hour shift as a security guard before rushing to Wesley Square to assist her sister, who was involved in the ongoing disputes. 

Stewart says his daughter was acting on the conflict resolution values he instilled in her. "I preached to Asia all the time about talking. ‘Stop, think, then go with what you need to do,’" Stewart said. "I’m sure my voice was in her head telling her she needed to be home," he said. "But for the love of her sister, she came." 

"I’m not mad at you, I’m more hurt at you," Stewart said as he addressed Dasja Wilmore. "She used one second of her life and disrupted everybody's life — including hers, because she (Wilmore) has a child."