Treja Kelly, a 17-year-old African American girl from Chicago, Illinois, was tragically shot and killed on September 8, 2019. Treja, who was three months pregnant at the time, was walking in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago when she was approached by a man. The two engaged in a verbal altercation, after which the man pulled out a handgun and shot Treja three times in the head and multiple times in the upper body.
Despite being rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, Treja was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
Treja's death was not only a devastating loss for her family but also a significant event in the context of ongoing violence in Chicago. Her grandmother revealed that Treja had recently testified against Deonte Davis, who was convicted of murdering her cousin, Christopher Fields, in 2016. This testimony was believed to be a potential motive for her murder, as Treja had been a key witness in the case. Davis was convicted of first-degree murder in June 2019, just a few months before Treja's death.
The investigation into Treja's murder revealed that a bounty of $5,000 had been placed on her head for her role in testifying against Davis. This led to the arrest of Kavarian Rogers, who was charged with her murder. Rogers allegedly admitted to being paid to kill Treja and was awaiting trial as of the latest reports. The case highlighted the dangers faced by witnesses in violent crime cases and the lengths to which some individuals would go to silence them.
Treja's murder remains a poignant reminder of the pervasive gun violence in Chicago and the risks associated with standing up against such crimes. Her family continues to mourn her loss, and the community remembers her as a bright young woman with a promising future, tragically cut short by senseless violence.
