CINCINNATI — While people across the Tri-State are celebrating the holidays, DeRonn McCollum is planning a funeral.
Police found McCollum's younger sister, 31-year-old Tekeya McCollum, suffering from a gunshot wound in the stairwell of the Park Eden building at 2610 Park Ave. after a report of gunshots heard by building residents around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said medics were called to attempt life-saving efforts, but were not successful.
WATCH: This holiday week marks tragedy for one family in the Tri-State after a shooting at the Park Eden building
"The biggest thing is having to explain to her kids — I mean, it's five of them — that you'll never see your mother again," McCollum said. "The biggest thing is the kids."
McCollum said his sister did not live at Park Eden, and he's not sure what led up to the shooting. Police did not provide any information on a potential suspect or what may have led up to the shooting.
One Park Eden tenant we spoke with on Wednesday, Dashawn Grigsby, said residents heard an altercation occur on the building's fourth floor Tuesday night, then a gunshot and a scream.
"I mean, for a person to kill a young mother, I just don't know what the world's coming to," McCollum said. "Tekeya's legacy is just being over the top and being very dramatic and embracing who she was as a person."
McCollum said his sister was someone who embraced life in all facets, bolstered a bold personality and made the most of every day she was given.
McCollum's family has started a GoFundMe to help support funeral arrangements for Tekeya.
It's hardly the first tragedy for the McCollum family. In October 2024, Deronn McCollum's grandmother, Patricia McCollum, and her two adopted children, 32-year-old DJ and 11-year-old Kaydence, were found dead inside her home after a stabbing.
Police say Anthony Mathis, McCollum's son-in-law, stabbed the three. Mathis, 66, died from self-inflicted stab wounds at UC Medical Center after an hours-long SWAT standoff with Cincinnati police.
In February, plans were announced to rename a street leading up to the new Hamilton County Central Campus in Bond Hill "Pat McCollum Way" in honor of the woman known as "Ms. Pat."
"I had went and connected with my grandmother spiritually yesterday," DeRonn McCollum said. "It was right before I heard of (the shooting), so I feel that (Tekeya) is in good hands, and we'll get through this."
Tuesday's shooting marks the second to take place at Park Eden in the last week. On Dec. 18, another shooting injured a man. Several other shootings have happened at the building this year, and residents say they're fed up.
"There's seniors here, and there's children here, and we live right across the street from elementary school," Grigsby said. "We've all come together, and we've been telling our property management that we need security."
Mohagony Conyers another resident in the building, said that her son was involved in the altercation on Dec. 18, while trying to defend her. We reached out to the Cincinnati Police Department on Wednesday for more information, but did not receive a response.
"We are tenants, and the last thing we should have to worry about is living or dying, mainly dying," Conyers said.
We reached out to a CMHA spokesperson on Wednesday and received the following statement:
"Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority acknowledges the unfortunate incident that occurred last evening at Park Eden in Walnut Hills. We are cooperating with the Cincinnati Police for the well-being of our residents as well as the local community. We continually utilize a multi-layered approach to security that includes working with our residents, active surveillance, and law enforcement partnerships. We encourage Park Eden residents to share with the police any information they may have regarding the incident. CMHA and Touchstone Property Services are communicating with Park Eden residents on the next steps moving forward."
