The family of a Mississippi teen are in mourning after she was killed just hours after her high school graduation. Tragic reports detail how the 18-year-old girl was shot at around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday at a gas station. Police confirmed that the teen died at the scene having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Kennedy had graduated earlier that day, with Jackson Public Schools having captured footage of her walking across the stage at the Mississippi Coliseum to receive her diploma.
JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene said: “A loss of a younger person, especially just after she’s graduated, it’s really tough.
“My heart goes out to her immediate family, to her mom, to her family, to her friends, her fellow graduates.”
Kennedy’s family say her boyfriend, 21-year-old Jaquan Williams, was shot and killed at a convenience store back in April. Authorities aren’t yet sure if there’s a connection between the murders.
The teenager’s uncle, William Edwards, told how his family has been left heartbroken and searching for answers.
“I’ve never felt this way and I’m trying to understand it, but at this point, it’s hard to process,” he said.
At a rally held on Wednesday night outside the Jackson Police Department, he added: “We’re here to say we are tired. We’re tired of these types of news briefs. We’re tired of our children being murdered in our streets.”