CINCINNATI — An incredible daughter, friend and mother — that's how the family of Nia Booker wants her to be remembered after she was shot and killed in Avondale Saturday evening.
"I taught her how to love and she passed it on to her kids," said Darlene Booker-Powell, Nia Booker's mother. "I'm proud of the mother she was."
Booker's cousin, Ryan Scott, and her mother spoke Tuesday about the horrific incident that changed their lives forever. Family members said Booker's 7-, 8-, and 9-year-old children were all in the back seat of her car as someone opened fire.
"Seeing the aftermath of it, it's a miracle things aren't worse," Scott said. "What we know is there was some argument outside the car, shooter shot inside the car."
The 9-year-old called 911.
"(Booker) told the youngest two to get down in the back — that could've saved their lives," Scott said.
Scott and Booker-Powell said she was an incredible mother to her children.
"She took people in, she loved people ... and that's why they loved her," Booker-Powell said. "She was a good person. She didn't mean any harm. God and her kids was her first priority."
They said Booker was nine months pregnant when she was shot and killed.
"When this happens there's a lot of emotions," Scott said. "Anger is definitely one of them. That's not going to go away."
Her due date was Aug. 17. Booker's family said the baby — a girl — survived and is in the ICU.
"She’s got a lot of tubes and things going on. She's a fighter," Booker-Powell said. "Nia named her before she died."
None of Booker's children in the back seat were injured, the family said.
"In the midst of this tragedy, there's a lot of little miracles," Scott said.
Booker-Powell said the children are staying with her for the time being.
"She’s gonna ask when its time, but the baby will know soon enough that they don't have a mother," Booker-Powell said.
The family is working on funeral arrangements, while CPD's Homicide Unit is working to determine who pulled the trigger. They set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral and child care expenses.
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