An innocent mom was shot and killed outside a Missouri gas station as she bought frozen treats for her children, according to reports.
Shakeela Martin, 35, was killed on June 30 while stopping at a BP gas station in Ferguson with her children. Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle told KVVU-TV that she was struck by stray gunfire while walking back to her vehicle.
“She was here to purchase some soft drinks for her young kids,” Doyle said. “They’re physically unhurt but obviously hurt emotionally.
“You can only imagine what a child would go through watching their mom being murdered in front of them.”
Doyle told KTVI that Martin was “totally innocent.”
Police also confirmed to the outlet that another man had been struck by gunfire and was rushed to the hospital. The as-yet unnamed individual was in critical condition.
“We do have some promising leads in this particular case, and our goal is to dedicate all of the resources that we have to this family,” Doyle added.
A friend who was with Martin during the shooting said that several men had pulled up to the gas station and began shooting at another group of people before speeding off, KSDK reported.
When the woman looked back, she saw that Martin had been killed. Martin’s relatives said that the late mom had been shot in the head.
Whittley Anderson, Martin’s cousin, told the outlet that her relative leaves behind five children. The youngsters are three, four, nine, 11 and 15 years old.
“It was just senseless. It’s so surreal,” Anderson said. “How can a woman go to the store, get slushies for her kids and end up dying?”
“These kids now have to live with this until they’re old, and it will never go away,” Anderson continued. “It will never leave our family.”
Anderson also shared that Martin had been planning to move to a home in Jennings with her family.
“Everybody was really excited about her move. What do we do now?” she said.
According to a GoFundMe campaign page launched by Anderson, Martin’s children were the “center of her world.” The page had raised more than $36,000 as of Monday. Funds raised by the campaign will go towards covering her funeral expenses, as well as supporting her five children.
“We will forever cherish Shakeela’s memory and the love she gave so freely to everyone around her,” the page concludes.
The Independent has contacted the Ferguson Police Department for further comment.