A Missouri mother of five was shot and killed while stopping for slushies with two of her young children after gunfire erupted outside a Ferguson gas station, prompting an ongoing search for the person responsible.
What we know:
Shakeela Martin, 35, was fatally wounded just before midnight Tuesday outside the BP gas station at the intersection of South Florissant and Woodstock roads. According to the Ferguson Police Department, the shooting happened after an altercation that started inside the convenience store escalated into the parking lot.
Police said Martin had taken her 9-year-old and 6-year-old children to the gas station to buy frozen drinks during the hot summer evening. As the family walked back to their vehicle, multiple shots were fired. Investigators believe Martin was not involved in the dispute and was an innocent bystander caught in the gunfire.
"She was here to purchase some soft drinks for her young kids," Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle told First Alert 4. "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."
What we don't know:
An adult man was also struck during the shooting and remains hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities have not said whether he was connected to the altercation or was the intended target.
The backstory:
Detectives said the confrontation began inside the gas station before moving outside, where the gunfire broke out. No arrests have been made, and investigators continue to work the case.
Martin leaves behind five children and relatives who say she was preparing to start a new chapter in her family's life.
What you can do:
A GoFundMe campaign created in her memory says Martin had been getting ready to move her family into a new home the following day. Before the move, she had taken her children to the BP station for slushies, a routine outing that ended in tragedy.
"Our hearts are shattered as we mourn the unimaginable loss of our beloved Shakeela Martin, who was taken from us far too soon at just 35 years old," the fundraiser states.
The campaign describes Martin as "a devoted mother to five beautiful children who were the center of her world" and says she did not have life insurance. Organizers said donations will be used to pay for funeral and burial costs, with any remaining funds helping provide for her children's immediate needs.
"We will forever cherish Shakeela’s memory and the love she gave so freely to everyone around her," the fundraiser site says.
The Ferguson Police Department is urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact investigators at 314-522-3100 or CrimeStoppers anonymously at 866-371-TIPS.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from the Ferguson Police Department, including details released by investigators about the shooting and statements from Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle in an interview. This story was reported from Los Angeles.