MILWAUKEE — A poster of the mother and daughter shot by Simone Hughes now covers the bullet holes in the front door.
Loved ones gathered at the home near 36th and Clarke Thursday evening to put the poster there, including the 14-year-old daughter in the photo.
Knya Hughes bravely walked up to the home she shared with her mom, Quinette Walters, who was shot and killed there.
Knya's father, the suspect in this case, is still on the run. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office has already issued criminal charges for Hughes.
Knya jumped out of a second story window after her mom got shot to escape the terror. Her father then turned the gun on her, shooting his own daughter.
She is still recovering from her gunshot wounds, but she was released from the hospital yesterday and wanted to be home for the vigil.
Family and friends are focused on supporting her anyway they can. More than anything, Knya and her sister and brother need a new place to call home. A GoFundMe has been set up to the help.
Family says Knya's mom, Quinette, had the biggest heart and was in an abusive relationship with Hughes for a long time. They say she was getting ready to finally leave him when this crime occurred.
According to the Sojourner Family Peace Center, domestic violence has been consistently increasing through the Covid-19 pandemic. But fewer people are reaching out for help.
“That’s a troubling trend that shows people are isolated, afraid, don’t have the information they need, or don’t feel safe enough to come forward,” said Carmen Pitre, the President and CEO of Sojourner.
Sojourner offers a 12 week program for children directly affected by domestic violence.
Pitre says as a society, it's going to take talking more openly and honestly about healthy and unhealthy relationships and speaking up when you hear or see behavior that is not right.
The focus now must be on helping Knya and her family feel supported and helping them heal from the trauma they’ve been through.
“Kids who witness violence need to be able to talk about it,” Pitre said. “In her own time, this young girl will talk about how what happened, how she’s feeling, and what she can envision moving forward. The healing process will take a while, but she doesn’t have to do it alone.”
Sojourner offers a variety of resources, including a 24-hour hotline for anyone dealing with domestic violence. That number is 414-933-2722.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 Tips App.
