Heartbroken family speaks out after mother, daughter found dead inside Trenton home
Mother-daughter killed in Trenton: Heartbroken family and community speak out
A family is heartbroken and mourning the deaths of a mother and her 13-year-old daughter after they were shot and killed inside a residence in Trenton.
TRENTON, N.J. - Police in Trenton and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office are still investigating the killings of a mother and daughter.
On West State Street in Trenton, just a couple of blocks from the Capitol complex, a family is grieving an immeasurable loss.
The backstory:
Trenton police were called to a home on the 300 block of West State Street Saturday morning, about 10:30, on a report of two people shot, according to authorities.
Mother and teen daughter found shot, killed inside Trenton residence: officials
A 13-year-old girl and her 40-year-old mother were found shot to death inside a Trenton residence Saturday morning.
Responding officers found a 13-year-old girl shot and killed in a third-floor bedroom, while her 40-year-old mother was also found dead from a gunshot wound on a staircase leading to the third floor.
What they're saying:
"Right now, this is a tragedy that has happened to our family. We don’t know all the details," said Laquana Hardee, the victim’s cousin.
The Trenton mayor says the city is mourning the 'senseless' deaths of 13-year-old Jairah Biggs and her mother, 40-year-old Malika Whiting.
"It is with profound sorrow and heartbreak that we learned of the senseless and devastating loss of Malika Whiting and her 13-year-old daughter, Jairah Biggs. The news of this horrific act of violence has shaken our community The family's roots are in the community and throughout the City. No mother and daughter should ever be taken from this world in such a tragic and violent way. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family, friends, and loved ones of Malika and Jairah during this unimaginable time. As a city, we mourn alongside you and stand with you in grief and in solidarity." Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said in a statement.
"She was a loving mother. She was funny, she was loving. All she wanted was to have her kids raised properly," Hardee said. "Her daughter is in the seventh grade, 13 years old. She didn’t deserve this, to be in the middle of a conflict she had nothing to do with."
Neighbors saw the commotion and were horrified by the news.
"Police arrived around 10:30. They had got a 911 call that someone was murdered in the house," said Eric Anderson, a neighbor.
According to relatives, Whiting also has a son and two small children.
"It’s very senseless, you know, very senseless," Eric commented.
"I pray that each and every one of us evaluates the relationships we’re in because this can be any of us," Laquana said.
What's next:
Police were questioning a "person of interest."
The Source: The information in this story is from Mercer County detectives and the victims' family members and neighbors.