Mum of woman shot on doorstep on son’s 5th birthday makes heart-breaking gun violence plea
Africa Bass, from South Chicago, US, had been living in neighbourhood less than 24 hours when she was killed
A WOMAN who had been living in her home for less than 24 hours was gunned down on the doorstep on the day her son turned five.
Africa Bass, 23, was running an errand around midnight and got caught in crossfire outside her apartment in South Chicago, in the US.
She was hit in the back and pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital.
Her devastated mother, Sheila Jones told the “She hadn’t even been there two hours. Who would do this to my baby?”
And in a message to the US she said" “To everybody in America, wake up,” Sheila Jones pleaded. “Everybody’s saying the same thing. When is it gonna stop? When is it gonna stop?"
Jones and her daughter, Jovanna Jones. wept and hugged each other as they processed the terrible news.
Jovanna said: “Besides my mom, my sister was the strongest person I knew. That was my second momma."
It is the second time tragedy has hit the family in a matter of days - Bass and her relatives escaped a fire at Sheila Jones’ home three days previously.
She wept and said: “Oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord. Oh, my God. That was my rock. I just saved my child out of a fire three days ago. What do I do? What do I do?
“Baby, why did you leave me? Why? Why?” Jones yelled. “No, no, no.”
According to residents who lived in the block, it was thought Bass was unintentionally caught up in a gang hit.
At the scene of the shooting, police marked six shell casings in a cordoned off area.
Damarie Roman, 55, who runs a day care center in her home across the street, said she and her husband saw a vehicle speed away.
There have been a number of shootings in the area in recent months - in June, Jeremy Ray, 27, was shot by two attackers, and a 27-year-old man was shot in the hand. A week ago another man was shot in the back.
