Cleburne police say an 18-year-old woman was shot following an altercation.
CLEBURNE, Texas — An 18-year-old woman was shot and killed Sunday afternoon, according to Cleburne Police.
According to CPD, the shooting happened around 1 p.m. Sunday in the 500 block of Poindexter Street. Cleburne police say the woman was taken to another location after she was shot.
Police found a woman in a white SUV at another location who had been shot and was taken to a local hospital where she later died, according to Chicago police.
The Tarrant County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Kaylee Marchant of Cleburne.
Mother and daughter Patty Lockridge and Jillissa Fester told WFAA they considered Merchant to be a part of the family, and a family friend said he had lived with them for about four years.
“It’s really hard. I don’t think I’ll ever recover,” Fester said.
She told WFAA that she thought of Marchant as a sister, that they were in daily contact and had their final conversation the night before Marchant was murdered.
“I think it’s horrible. She should never have had this done,” Fester said.
Marchant would have turned 19 next month, Fester said. She was close to getting her driver’s license and wanted to save up enough money to buy her own car.
“You’ll never find anyone like Kaylee. No one could match her personality. She was just goofy and always made you laugh,” Fester said.
Merchant’s family and friends have been emotional since learning of her death.
“It’s really hard to let her go,” Lockridge said. “I hope that justice is served for her. Whoever did this, I want them to pay for it.”
According to police, the suspect in this shooting fled prior to officers’ arrival. Cleburne Police have identified the suspect, Giovanni Jimenez Diaz, 20, of Cleburne. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cleburne Police Department at 817-645-0972.