Community Demands Justice For Katherine Diop, Young Mother Killed Leaving Graduation Cookout In The Bronx
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Community advocates in the Bronx are speaking out after a woman was killed and her brother was injured in a shooting last week.
People in the neighborhood told CBS2's Kiran Dhillon that 29-year-old Katherine Diop was a wonderful, positive light in the community. They're devastated by her senseless death and want the public's help finding her killer.
Community members and elected officials gathered Monday to pray and pay tribute to the young mother, who is now one of the latest victims of gun violence in this neighborhood and in the city.
"Families are suffering. You shouldn't have to worry about having your kids go outside and not returning," said community advocate Alpheaus Marcus.
The double shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. last Wednesday near the corner of Marion Avenue and East 194th Street.
Friends said Diop and her 31-year-old brother, Maurice, were at a graduation cookout for their younger sister when they went to a deli to buy lighter fluid. A dispute with another man over music outside the deli began, resulting in the brother and sister being shot.
"There was an argument in regards to how the music should be played and it resulted in senseless violence," Marcus said.
"Gun violence is prevalent in our communities and it has to stop," he added.
The incident comes amid a spike in shootings in the city.
Fernando Cabrera is the City Council's co-chair of the the Gun Violence Task Force. To address the crime, he said the council plans to increase funding for gun violence prevention initiatives by more than double next week.
"We need to empower those to do the job. It's going to require funding, require the backing that they need so they can do the job and give services to the young people," Cabrera said.
Councilmember Vanessa Gibson said it's also up to members of the community to speak out if they know anything.
"One day, it's this child. The next day, it could be your child. So, yes, take this personal, because you don't want to be the next mother or father that gets that phone call," Gibson said.
Meanwhile, those who knew Diop said they want more gun control and policing in their neighborhood. They said Diop had a 7-year-old daughter, who does not deserve to grow up without a mother.
"She was always with her daughter, she's always taking care of her mother. She was a great daughter to her mother and to the people in the community. She tried to get to know everybody," one friend said. "She was a loving person."
"It's a shock because she's 29 years old and she's a young girl she has a lot of things to do in life," added Usman Khan, owner of Crown Fried Chicken.
Friends said despite being shot eight times, Diop's brother Maurice is expected to be OK. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Anyone with information about their shooter is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.