Woman Killed Over a Cigarette

A crowd of mourners carried candles and heavy hearts.  Family and friends of 29-year-old Dawn Shipley are trying to make sense of her sudden death.

“Ask for mercy for the City of Baltimore that the senseless killing might stop and we’ll stop losing our sisters and brothers,” prayed a mourner.   

At a vigil, Shipley’s father kneeled down near his daughter’s blood stains.  Her family says she left their Southwest Baltimore home, where she lived with her parents, early Saturday morning.  She walked with her boyfriend just a few blocks away on South Brunswick St. to buy cigarettes.

“The guy came up to her and asked her what’s up?  How about giving me one of those cigarettes?  She said they’re not open yet and they’re her boyfriend’s. That’s when he started shooting the gun,” said her mom, Diana Shipley.

A doctor at Shock Trauma told Mrs. Shipley her daughter was shot once and the bullet hit a main artery.  She died around 1:15 a.m.  Shipley’s twin sister never expected to have to live without her.

“He killed a part of me when he took her.  A part of me is gone,” said Diana Shipley, who is named after their mom.

Nine-year-old Norman Brown is forced to go on without his mother for a reason that seems senseless.

“Lord, we need your mercy here in Southwest Baltimore and we need you here and we need you to shine your light down on this neighborhood cause this is senseless,” a mourner prayed.

Right now, police do not a suspect in custody.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Baltimore Police:  410-396-2100.