HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Family and friends of a pregnant woman killed in Newport News remembered her life Friday evening.
According to Newport News Police, someone shot 20-year-old Tiara Jefferson while she was driving near 27th and Madison Avenue Thursday morning.
Jefferson’s sister said that she was a quiet and responsible person who stayed out of trouble.
“That’s heartless to do. That’s heartless to do. She was pregnant. They probably didn’t know, but she was innocent,” said Tatyana Jefferson.
Dozens showed up at Darling Stadium in Hampton, even strangers, to honor the young mother, who was 15 weeks pregnant.
“I know her story is touching to a lot of people. She was young, she was innocent, but I didn’t expect the turnout we got today,” Jefferson said.
She said she’s at a loss because her death was unexpected.
She was on her way home from Richmond and dropping off her boyfriend at his home when the shooting happened, according to Jefferson.
Her boyfriend was also struck, but taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Jefferson does not know what could’ve caused the shooting.
“I think it was some young people being dumb,” she said.
But whoever did it is causing a lifetime of pain for her family, especially Tiara’s one-year-old daughter Ava, who was in the car with her mother at the time.
Ava was not injured and it’s not the first time she’s lost a parent to gun violence.
Her family said her father, Devin Jones, was shot and killed when Ava was only 4 months old.
