Jamyla Bolden was studying at home in bed in Ferguson, Missouri, when she was shot and killed on Tuesday night.
Jamyla and her mother were both hit by gunfire when an unknown person opened fire at the window of their home. Jamyla was killed, but her mother was only hit in the leg and was released from the hospital recently after being treated for her wounds.
The community came together to mourn the death of Jamyla, and many have spoken out about the epidemic of violence.
“There needs to be a reevaluation of human life: [whether] black, white, young, seasoned, whether in Ferguson, or areas considered affluent,” said Pastor Willis Johnson. “This has to stop. This epidemic of lost life under false pretense and of no real significant reason has to change.”
The same night Jamyla was killed, 18-year-old Mansur Ball-Bey was shot and killed by police, and many in the community gathered to protest his death. Unfortunately, that led conservative news outlets like Fox News to criticize the community for being upset at Ball-Bey’s death and not Jamyla, but protesters and community members alike say that is just not true.
Hundreds of people gathered for a service for Jamyla, which included several balloons being released into the air in remembrance of her, and community members say it was a touching and sad experience.
“[Jamyla’s] best friends were there, crying,” Johnetta Elzie, a prominent Ferguson protester, told Mic. “Her father spoke. Just hearing him talk about how much he loved his daughter — it hurts to know that her life was stolen.”