Photo courtesy of Selena Dukes on Facebook.
Selena Dukes was gunned down on Mother’s Day weekend after trying to help a friend involved in a domestic dispute.
The incident occurred at an apartment complex in South Fulton, Georgia, after Selena Dukes went with her friend to retrieve the latter’s child from their father, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. When the women arrived, the friend began arguing with Diante Gore, the baby’s father. Dukes tried to break it up, but her efforts were unsuccessful, per South Fulton Police.
South Fulton Police claims Gore grabbed a gun and opened fire. Dukes was hit in the chest and died from her injuries, per Fox 5. She was 23 years old.
Gore fled the scene and is still on the run. He faces several charges, including murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession by a felon.
On Tuesday evening, Dukes’ family and friends gathered to celebrate her life with a balloon release and vigil.
“She was loved by a lot of people,” Shaneka Newton, her cousin, told Fox 5. “Sweet, nice, a very bubbly person.”
Her death is a blow to a family who mourned the tragic death of Dukes’ 9-month-old daughter two years ago. The baby died on Father’s Day weekend in 2019. Her father was charged and jailed for her death.
Dukes’ cousin had a message for the fugitive Gore.
“We know who you are, police know who you are, please come forward and turn yourself in. It was a senseless killing,” said Newton.
Domestic violence is widespread in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control estimates
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Black women are particularly vulnerable to abuse. A report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found Black women are 2.5 times more likely to be murdered by a man than white women. Nine in ten of them knew their assailants.