On a Friday afternoon in Boston, the life of 19-year-old Tasjahnaya Khalia Dance, known to her loved ones as "Tasji," was tragically cut short. On January 22, 2021, in the Dorchester neighborhood, the female teenager was shot multiple times near the intersection of Bowdoin Avenue and Washington Street. Responding to a call around 12:40 p.m., police discovered Dance with life-threatening injuries.
She was quickly transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Tasjahnaya, a former resident of Richmond, Virginia, who had moved to Boston in her younger years, was remembered by her family as a funny, smart, and passionate young woman. She was fiercely loyal to her family and a protector to her siblings. Her unique sense of style and her passion for music were two of the things she was best known for. Her ambition was evident in the songs she created, which her family now holds as a way to hear her voice.
In the days following the shooting, the Boston Police Department launched an investigation into her death, which was ruled a homicide. Investigators released images of a man they considered a person of interest, seeking the public's help in identifying him in connection with Dance's murder.
By late February 2021, an arrest was made in the case. A 17-year-old male, Albert Brown, was taken into custody and charged with the murder of Tasjahnaya Dance. At his arraignment, Brown was ordered to be held without bail.
