A Chicago family is expressing heartbreak over the death of a young basketball star who was known for her infectious personality and hoped to play in the WNBA one day.
Kierra Moore, 16, died in a drive-by shooting Thursday night while standing with a group of people in Lawndale. Police said the gunfire came from a passing black car around 11:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of West Polk Street.
According to authorities, Kierra was hit several times and died from her injuries.
Family and friends gathered at the Cabrini Green row houses Saturday, the area where Kierra grew up, to remember the 16-year-old and honor her life.
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"I want them to know they took something from me that could never be replaced," her mother, Jonica Knox, said.
A junior basketball player at Michelle Clark High School, Kierra had dreams of making it big, relatives said.
"She always talked about going to the WNBA, she was always talking about going to the league and being at the roundtable and having us right there for her," said Jaden Knox, Kierra's brother.
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Family members say Moore was with her twin sister the night of the shooting.
The girls entered an Uber to head home after getting their nails done at a friend's house. That's when, according to family, a black car pulled up and a number of men exited.
"They blocked the Uber off, pointed the gun to the back of the car where Kierra was sitting at," her mother said. "...And her twin sister got out and ran, her twin sister thought she was behind her, she was on the ground."
Her sister wasn't hurt, but is now dealing with the trauma and pain of losing her twin.
"How could you hurt somebody?" her mother questioned. "How could you wake up in the morning thinking about killing somebody? How can you get up and say I’m going to kill somebody today?"
No arrests had been made as of Saturday night.
