MILWAUKEE — A 20-year-old community activist was promoting a message of peace in the community the day before and yards away from where she was shot and killed Sunday.
Milwaukee Police say Quanita "Tay" Jackson was not the intended target in a drive-by shooting Sunday night. Police have not arrested anyone in this case.
On Saturday, Jackson had organized a community wide three-on-three basketball tournament in Moody Park. That's where TODAYS TMJ4 media partner, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, spoke to Jackson about why she put together the event.
"We're doing this for our community, but mostly it's for to keep peace in the park," Jackson told Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service on Saturday.
Friends say it was her young life's work--encouraging unity in the community. She told the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service she set out to accomplish just that with the tournament.
"I just want people to come together with peace and, you know, just stop the violence and mostly just stop fighting each other because we only got one life to live," Jackson said to the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Jackson's friend, Joshua Jenkins, met Jackson through TRUE Skool. He encouraged Jackson to talk to the reporter on Saturday.
"Saturday was a day full of jubilance [sic], a day full of energy, calmness, positive energy," Jenkins said.
He had no idea he was spending his last moments with her.
"We were dancing together to 'Envy Me' and we hugged each other and told each other we loved each other," Jenkins said.
It's hard for him to process her death, especially since promoting peace was Jackson's mission.
"To keep boys from not doing dangerous stuff, to keep the boys from just, what people mostly just, not to get in to no trouble," Jackson told the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service on Saturday.
