'Be careful of who you're dating:' Vigil held for young woman fatally shot near 16th and North



MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee woman was shot and killed near 16th Street and North Avenue on Oct. 27, and her family said it was the result of domestic violence. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, they gathered to honor her life and shared a message for other women in abusive relationships.

Family said the shooting death of Kimotasha Perry, 26, shouldn't have happened.

"I'm lost right now," said Michelle Perry, Kimotasha's mother. "I'm stuck. I can't even explain it. There is no way I can explain the feeling that I have right now."

Perry stood at the spot where her daughter was killed heartbroken but determined to seek justice.

Michelle Perry



"She was a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful woman," said Perry. "She was family-oriented. She loved her family. She loved her best friend."

Her mother said her death was the result of domestic violence. Police said the investigation was ongoing. As of Wednesday, no charges had been filed.

"I'm just going to miss my best friend," said Carmel Elim, Kimotasha's best friend. "It's never going to get better."

Loved ones described the victim as outgoing and focused on family.

Kimotasha Perry





Carmel Elim



"My friend was a unique person," said Elim. "She definitely is a legend in a lot of peoples' lives."

Devastated that a young life was taken so senselessly, family said they wanted to help others so this violence wouldn't be repeated.

"Be careful of who you're dating," said Perry. "Be careful of who you're loving. Be careful. Just be careful."

It wasn't clear Wednesday whether any arrests had been made.



Meanwhile, with Perry's mother struggling to pay for her daughter's funeral, a GoFundMe.com account was set up to help.