A Black Missouri mother was killed in the crossfire of a shootout that occurred on a highway in Ferguson last week.
Kristen Whitted, 46, was driving to visit a friend when she was shot by a Black man who allegedly had road rage issues, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports.
The tragedy happened on Interstate 170, between Page Boulevard and Highway 40, at about 3 p.m. According to reports, two people in separate vehicles were firing shots at one another. A stray bullet from Calvin Pittman’s weapon struck Whitted inside her SUV.
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“This was a despicable random act of violence,” Olivette Police Chief David Wolf said at a press conference last Friday.
“By anybody’s standards, we did everything right. My sister did everything right,” said the victim’s brother, Fred Whitted, a community activist. “This act of aggression, this act of recklessness, of thoughtlessness, it took away my family.”
Whitted was a mother of two, a new grandmother, and the oldest of four siblings. Prior to her death, she was taking online classes for her Master’s Degree in Computer Science, PEOPLE reports. She was driving alone to Forest Park to meet a friend for a daily walk when she was shot.
Surveillance cameras on the traffic signals on the highway could not be used to locate the suspects involved with the deadly shooting, prompting the Whitted family to turn to the public for help.
“This does not need to be a secret,” Whitted’s brother said. “Don’t let my sister’s case go cold.”
A day after the shooting, a brave tipster led authorities to Pittman, who has been charged with murder, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence, per the Post-Dispatch.
Pittman owns multiple fire arms, and photos of himself armed can be found on his social media.
It is not certain if Pittman has entered a plea deal or retained an attorney, according to PEOPLE. Police are still searching for the second driver who reportedly fled the scene in a white or silver car.
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A GoFundMe has been launched for Whitted’s daughter’s college fund, which has so far raised more than $30K out of the 200K goal.
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