Amaya “Mya” Walls was a daughter, niece, and cousin whose family described her as their whole world. At 20 years old, she should have been planning her future, but instead, her life was stolen by violence. Her loved ones remember a young woman who deserved to grow old, celebrate birthdays, and chase her dreams. They said she was loved, she mattered, and she had a future ahead of her.
On the morning of October 8, 2026, Amaya Walls, a 20-year-old woman, called Milwaukee police for
help. She reported a domestic violence incident involving her ex-boyfriend, 39-year-old Timothy I. Taylor. She told officers that Taylor had become verbally aggressive, poured drinks on her at a gas station, and later, back at a residence on North 42nd Street, threw a glass pickle jar at her, causing a cut on her arm. While police were still there, Taylor called Amaya’s phone. With the call on speaker, the officers heard him threaten, "I’m going to shoot the house up and shoot you." Amaya informed police that Taylor had threatened to kill her before, had choked her, and had access to a gun. At the time, Taylor was out on bail for a previous domestic violence case involving Amaya and was under a no-contact order.
Just a few hours later, around 2:50 p.m., police were called back to the area, near North 42nd Street and West Good Hope Road, for a shooting. Surveillance video captured what happened next. The footage showed Amaya and her 32-year-old aunt walking on the sidewalk when Taylor’s vehicle approached at high speed. Amaya began to run toward the porch of a nearby home, pounding on the door and yelling, "Get away from me!" Taylor got out of his car, chased her onto the porch steps, aimed a handgun directly at her, and shot her three times at point-blank range. He then shot her aunt, who was also on the porch, before getting back in his car and speeding away.
When officers arrived, they found Amaya's aunt bleeding heavily from her arm and Amaya lying unresponsive at the bottom of the porch stairs. Police administered first aid, but Amaya Walls died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Her aunt was transported to a hospital for her injuries and later identified Taylor from a photo lineup as the man who shot them.
The Milwaukee Police Department investigated the homicide. An arrest warrant was issued for Timothy I. Taylor, who was charged with first-degree intentional homicide for killing Amaya, attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting her aunt, two counts of felony bail jumping, and misdemeanor battery with a domestic abuse modifier. Taylor had a history of domestic violence allegations involving Amaya, including a case from May 2026 with charges of false imprisonment and strangulation. He remained at large following the shooting and was considered armed and dangerous.
Amaya’s family was left heartbroken and demanding accountability. "Amaya wanted to get away. She was trying to get away. And he just wouldn’t let her," one relative said. They expressed frustration with the police response, believing more should have been done to protect Amaya after she reported the threats earlier that day. "We want justice. Definitely on the police behalf because y’all didn’t do your part to patrol the area when the call got put out and didn’t do what you needed to do," a family member stated.
In the wake of her death, Amaya's family started a fundraiser to cover her funeral and burial expenses and to help with the medical and recovery needs of her aunt. They shared Amaya’s story in the hope that it would serve as a painful reminder that victims of domestic violence must be heard, believed, and protected. "She asked for help. She tried to get away. She deserved to live," her family wrote.
As of October 2026, Timothy Taylor was still wanted by the Milwaukee Police Department. Authorities asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, to contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS.
