A mother's grief and anger remain strong as ever 2 years after her daughter was shot and killed in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Saturday marks two years since a shooting killed a recent college graduate in the Chatham neighborhood, and in that time, her mother has never stopped fighting for justice.
Rickisha King-Tiggs was 24 when she was shot and killed at 4:54 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2022, while walking with her mother in the 800 block of East 82nd Street.
Misty Tiggs showed CBS News Chicago all the memories she has kept of her daughter—including childhood photos.
"This was Christmas. She wanted a game and a phone, everything," Tiggs said as she showed a picture of her daughter as a girl in braids and overalls. "My baby."
Rickisha was Misty Tiggs' only daughter.
"She's my only baby. She's my everything," Tiggs said, "and it hurts every single day, every minute, every second—because she was robbed."
In 2017, Tiggs and her daughter moved to Chatham. A year later, they started to have run-ins with Eugene Arnold, who also lived there.
"I didn't know him," Tiggs said. "I didn't even know his name to call the police."
Over the years, Tiggs kept making reports. She still gets infuriated thinking about everything she said happened.
"From him looking in Rickisha window to him messing with her at the bus stop—we made numerous reports to the police about him," she said.
In 2022, after nearly five years of verbal attacks, things changed.
"On October 4th he beat me in the head with a bottle," Tiggs said. "He beat me in the head for like 15 Mississippi's."
Tiggs filed another report, and started using a different entrance to her building to avoid him. Then, the final encounter came Oct. 26—as Rickisha walked her mother to her car for work.
Tiggs saw him and called police.
"And soon as I'm on the phone with the police, he came up the walkway and he started shooting," Tiggs said. "He started shooting! I grabbed my baby!"
Rickisha King-Tiggs died at the hospital.
Two years later, talking about the moment her daughter was shot has Tiggs heartbreakingly inconsolable as she falls to her knees and sobs.
"I couldn't help her!" Tiggs screamed and sobbed. "I couldn't help her!"
Tiggs struggles not only struggles with the loss of her daughter, but also the fact that she has to face Arnold in a courtroom every month.
"At first, I was crying—feeble in the corner, didn't want to do it. Don't want to face him, scared, angry," Tiggs said, "but I always wear my baby on my shirt so he can see. So he can see my baby, and everybody in that courtroom see my baby so they know who my baby is."
What was once Rickisha's room is decorated with memories of her. Tiggs keeps the room clean and tidy like her daughter would have—and she always keeps the light on to show Rickisha's light never dimmed.
"It feel like it's been forever. I want to cook for her. I want to clean her room. I want to see her feet. I want to see her smile. I want to hug my baby," Tiggs sobbed. "She was robbed."
Arnold is facing numerous charges, including murder attempted murder and murder. He is due back in court Monday, Nov. 4.
