CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Friends and family gathered to remember an 18-year-old girl who was shot and killed Sunday night.
Corpus Christi police responded to a fatal shooting in the 400 block of Osage Street just before Sunday midnight. Officers discovered the victim, 18-year-old Irene Ewers, who was fatally shot.
Ewers recently graduated from Coles High School, and left behind a young daughter. People close to Irene tearfully shared the message they wish they could give her.
Monday, her friends and family gathered to remember and honor her with a candlelight vigil. A moment of silence was held, the group said a prayer in her honor, and released balloons into the night sky.
Reanna Pena, who is a cousin of Ewers, said, "It means a lot that we can all come together, and just have this for her, and remember her."
People close to Irene tearfully shared the message they wish they could give her. "You were like my daughter, I love you, and I'm going to miss you," said Leslie Cruz, who is a mother of one of the victim's friends.
Ewers lived with Cruz while she was pregnant with her daughter. She held back tears while talking about Ewers.
“She was a great mother, she was a great friend, she was a great sister, a great daughter. She was amazing, I’m glad I met her,” said Stephanie Cisneros.
“She was like my sister-in-law, and I loved her. It’s so unreal that this happened,” said Marilyn Gonzalez.
As of Monday night, the Corpus Christi Police Department has not made any arrests in the case, but Cruz has a message for the person or persons responsible for her death.
“You left her daughter without a mother. You don’t even know how much we miss her. She didn’t even get to live her whole life. But, you will get caught. You will get caught, I promise you that,” she said.
