Family Says 30-Year-Old Woman Killed Sunday In Roxbury Was Hit By Stray Gunfire

An array of votive candles in front of the house of Nakieka Taylor spells out her nickname: Kiki.

Police have not identified the victim of Sunday night's shooting in Roxbury, but family members told reporters 30-year-old Taylor was hit by stray gunfire.

Derick Willis, a close family friend, came to pay his respects around noon Tuesday. On his phone he pulled up a picture of a smiling Kiki Taylor.

"Best person you could ever want to be around, fun-loving, caring," Willis said. "She'd do anything for anybody. She's a real, real good person. It's sad to see that she's not gonna be here no more."

Police say the shooting took place around 9:40 p.m. Sunday night, but did not provide further details. Taylor's mother told reporters she believes the bullets were destined for someone else.

Willis says shootings are all too common around the Dudley Square neighborhood.

"Just about every other day, someone's either getting shot or someone's driving by shooting at somebody," he said.

Iris Miranda lives with her husband and granddaughter a few houses down from the Taylors in the Warren Gardens housing co-op. She says she was in her house when shots rang through the air.

"I was inside and my granddaughter was outside," Miranda said. "When I heard the gunshots she came inside and I told her they were firecrackers. Then I heard the screams and I went outside."

Miranda says gunshots are commonplace in the neighborhood, but it's the first shooting death to take place in her little corner of Warren Gardens since she moved in decades ago.

She says the killing makes her want to leave the neighborhood, but that's not easy to do.

"I've lived so long in this house. My neighbors are good people. And my granddaughter has a lot of friends who she's grown up with," Miranda said. "But this is really bad what's going on."

So far this year Boston Police have reported 33 shooting deaths, a 21 percent increase since last year.

Boston Police are calling on the public to come forward with any details on the death of Nakieka Taylor.