Family, friends seek answers after woman gunned down in car with child in back seat
Woman killed in front of child in West Philly honored with balloon release
Family and friends gathered Monday night to honor the life of 29-year-old Imani Naim who was shot and killed inside a car in West Philadelphia while her eight-year-old nephew was in the backseat.
PHILADELPHIA - Honoring the life of a woman gunned down in a car in front of an eight-year-old boy.
29-year-old Imani Naim was shot and killed last Friday in West Philadelphia. Investigators say they believe it was a targeted attack.
What they're saying:
FOX 29's Steve Keeley spoke with family members who say they still have many questions.
"It hurts so bad that they did this to my granddaughter and with my great-nephew in the car," said Carmen Bacon, Imani Naim's grandmother.
Imani Naim was dropping off her eight-year-old nephew for a weekend birthday celebration in West Philadelphia when someone fired 11 shots point-blank through her windshield, killing her on Ludlow Street.
"How's your little boy coping? He was in the backseat when this happened?" asked Keeley.
"He's traumatized. Last night was the first night he got some sleep. He woke up twice. He's traumatized. He's gonna need counseling and be with us as a family. Hopefully, he was sleeping. He dove down to the ground. He heard the shots and dove down to the ground. So I hope he didn't even... hope he didn't even," said Sahdee, the mother of the eight-year-old in the car.
Imani was dropping him off to see his cousin Shanell Wright for her birthday.
Woman fatally shot in car with child in back seat: Officials
A 29-year-old woman was shot multiple times and killed in West Philadelphia. Police are searching for a suspect or suspects and a reward is being offered, officials said.
Family and friends gathered Monday night for yet another sad balloon release on Newkirk Street, where Imani grew up and where her grandmother still lives.
Imani's mother says it seems surreal to lose her oldest child to someone using a gun to settle some score.
"I'm sure you're wondering who would do this and why?" Keeley asked.
"Yeah, I'm thinking she probably made someone pretty pissed off to do that to her, you know. Yeah, they really did a number on my baby, so I'm thinking, yeah, she really pissed someone off, you know. And she had an eight-year-old cousin in the car with a little baby in the car with her. I'm just happy, I'm just grateful that he wasn't harmed at all. That's what I'm thinking, that he wasn't harmed," said Shantia Bacon, Imani Naim's mother.
Imani was a mother of four, having given birth to her youngest just five months ago.
"She didn't have no beef with nobody out here. She was a loving person, the life of the party. Always her energy. Always smiled. Everything was good about her. She was a great mom," said Tamara Davis, Imani's cousin.
"That day she was actually on her way to me, so to wake up the next morning and hear a close, close, close cousin of mine or ours is not here no more is... she was just sensational," Davis added.
What's next:
Imani's family and friends hope Philadelphia homicide detectives can answer the questions they all have: Who and why?