Pregnant US teenager testified in slaying. Weeks later, she's gunned down

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Chicago Tribune


Elvia Malagon, Jeremy Gorner and Alice Yin
16:58, Sep 10 2019



Treja Kelley witnessed her cousin die in a drive-by shooting. After testifying at the trial, she suffered the same fate.


Three years ago, Treja A Kelley was walking near her Chicago home in the US with her cousin when a man opened fire from a passing car, fatally striking her cousin.

This past June, Kelley, then 18, testified at the trial of her cousin's accused killer, helping Cook County prosecutors secure a conviction.

On Sunday night (local time), Kelley was just around the corner from the 2016 slaying - again walking to her home in the Back of the Yards neighbourhood - when a gunman stepped from an alley and opened fire, striking her three times in the head and several times in the torso.

Kelley, who was pregnant, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Read more: https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/115687750/pregnant-us-teenager-testified-in-slaying-weeks-later-shes-gunned-down

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Rest in Peace, Treja Kelley.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. This bothers me as much as, maybe more than, the mass shootings. The message has been sent...

Don't cooperate with, don't even talk to, the police.

[SharonClark]

5. Anything to back up that statement?

[AtheistCrusader]

8. I presume from a 'failed to put her in witness protection' angle.

Possible the slaying wasn't directly connected to the case she testified in, but rather attracted the attention of someone who wants to harm 'snitches'.

I'm not sure what the cost would be, but I think it might be reasonable to put someone in that sort of position, into witness protection for 3-6 months as a standard practice. Maybe just help them relocate entirely.

[Archae]

10. There's a "rap star" who is selling "Don't Snitch" T-shirts.

A guy who served time for selling crack.

[Codeine]

7. The fuck? nt

[Princess Turandot]

4. Someone must have seen this go down, giving the descriptions of what happened..

According to the Trib, the shooter 'argued with her' before he killed her: obviously they couldn't know that without a witness.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-witness-killed-chicago-shooting-20190910-rsmeudqevzf55aiz35z4s46es4-story.html

Kelley was walking home about 9:30 p.m. Sunday from her job at a nearby store when a man emerged from an alley in the 900 block of West 52nd Street, just around the corner from where she lived and where her cousin was killed three years ago. The man argued with Kelley before pulling out a handgun and firing at her several times, police said.

Just awful. Condolences to the young woman's family.

(BTW, the man who shot her cousin in 2016 didn't know him or any of the people who were just sitting on a porch socializing when he fired a gun at them.)

[JI7]

6. these people are terrorizing this area

people fear getting killed. they have been reluctant to report things because of exactly what happened to this girl .

law enforcement also needs to come up with ways to protect people who come forward with info.

[real Cannabis calm]

9. K&R so sad... this nation could use more Kelleys and less killers

[BlueWI]

11. Terrible news.

We all need to work with determination and courage to work on solutions for the disregard of human life across many, many people in all communities. Too much neglect of domestic priorities doesn't help at all.

If we're the party of greater concern for this kind of violence, our party's platform, policies, and communication need to reflect this commitment. I guess we'll see the extent to which that happens in 2020.

So sorry to hear news like this, heartbreaking and too frequent.

[sakabatou]

12. :(