A mother is still trying to put her life back together after surviving a shooting that nearly took everything from her.
Kristal says the violence happened on Halloween night while she was taking her children out to trick-or-treat. Out of nowhere, a man she did not know opened fire, shooting her nine times. She says shots were also fired in the direction of her children. Kristal was rushed to the hospital and, according to her account, was pronounced dead upon arrival before doctors were able to revive her.
Police reports confirm the shooting happened before 8:30 p.m. in the 9800 block of Vickie Place near Dellwood Market on Chambers Road. Investigators recovered multiple shell casings at the scene and confirmed two people were struck by gunfire.
Months later, the physical recovery is ongoing, but the emotional toll has been just as heavy. Kristal says she has not been able to return to work and continues to deal with daily pain and trauma. What makes it even harder is that the man who shot her has not been arrested. There have been no updates on who he is, why it happened, or what led up to that night. Living without answers has left her family feeling unsettled and on edge.
As Kristal focuses on healing and caring for her children, she is also facing financial hardship, including falling behind on rent and basic household needs. A GoFundMe has been created to help her family stay afloat during this time: https://gofund.me/fcf73d7a1.
Situations like Kristal’s are part of why the city Mayor Reggie Jones is standing on business on how Dellwood Market moves forward under new ownership.
