In the winter of 2024, the life of 31-year-old ShiAna Monique Gittens, a Black/African American woman from Jackson, Michigan, was tragically cut short. On January 22nd, she was discovered at her home on East McDevitt Avenue with a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency services transported her to Henry Ford Hospital where she was listed in critical condition. Despite medical efforts, Gittens succumbed to her injuries the following day, on January 23, 2024.
The incident was an act of domestic violence. Authorities quickly identified a 34-year-old man, the father of her children, as the suspect. He was apprehended during a traffic stop near Douglas and First Streets shortly after the shooting and was arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in connection with the crime.
ShiAna was a devoted mother to four children, who were aged 9, 5, 2, and just a newborn at the time of her death. In the wake of this tragedy, her family organized a GoFundMe campaign to provide for the immediate and future needs of her children. While she was in the hospital fighting for her life, her home was vandalized and several items were stolen, compounding the family's grief. A funeral service to honor her memory was held on February 13, 2024, at the Church of God in Jackson. In a final act of generosity, her organs were donated.
