COLUMBUS, Ohio — The family of Masonique Saunders held a vigil Monday evening at Saunders Park, the same park where her family said she was killed Saturday evening.
Columbus police have not yet identified the woman that was killed on Saturday.
Her family believes she was killed in retaliation for the 2018 shooting death of 16-year-old Julius Tate Jr.
Tate, who was Saunders' girlfriend at the time, was fatally shot by an undercover police officer during an attempted robbery attempt.
Saunders was charged with murder in the incident. State law says that if a person is killed while committing a crime, their accomplice can be charged with murder.
Saunders pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated robbery as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
Danielle Williams, Masonique’s mother, said no disagreement should end with a person losing their life.
What’s keeping her going right now is her other kids. She said Masonique loved her siblings and would want her mother to keep her head up for them.
"Put the guns down...put the guns down. We've got more to live for than this,” she said. “I’m a single mom not even want to bring my children to the park ever again.”
Police said the shooting was called in around 8:25 p.m. near Saunders Park on Atcheson Street. They said multiple people exchanged gunfire from different locations surrounding the park.
Police pronounced the woman dead at the scene and another woman, that was pregnant, was grazed and taken to Grant Medical Center. Police said she is expected to be OK.
Police said they're still investigating the shooting but so far, no arrests have been made.
Saunders' death marks the 34th homicide in Columbus in 2022.
Anyone with information on Saunders' death is asked to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).