COLUMBUS, Ohio — The mother of a Columbus rapper who was shot and killed on Thursday evening wants to make one thing clear: Her daughter will not become another statistic.
“Every night, there you have on TV, a child is gone,” said Wanda Bruce.
Another night, another child lost.
“The kids have no value of life,” Bruce said.
Thursday night it was Bruce's 26-year-old daughter Courtney who was shot to death.
Courtney was an up-and-coming rapper who went by the nickname "Boog The Bandit."
“When she left here, she said she was going to do this boy's hair,” Bruce explained.
Courtney and a man were driving near East Livingston Avenue and Beechwood Road on Dort Place just after 6 p.m. when Columbus Police say a group of men with guns surrounded the car and started assaulting Courtney inside.
Witnesses say they heard two shots, heard the car take off, then heard another shot.
“For her to get pistol whipped and shot in the chest, multiple times I heard. That wasn't called for. Even though she put up a fight,” Bruce said.
Courtney is one of 76 people in the city of Columbus to lose their life so far this year from violence. There have also been nearly 900 felonious assaults so far this year.
Police say Courtney was shot during an attempted robbery.
“Yes, her chain and her wallet,” Bruce explained.
Bruce thinks her daughter was targeted.
“She is not going to be another statistic. She won't be swept under the rug. I promise, that is not going to happen,” Bruce said.